Reboot
by Kallanit
Summary: Very loosely based on the Reptilia28 Don't Fear the Reaper Death Challenge, whereby Harry gets to relive his life. As do a couple of other people. What effect does this have on Harry's life and the Voldemort Blood wars? Not a Discworld crossover, but the story did cry out for some guest appearances by Death's granddaughter. HP/HG, SS/OC, not HG/SS. Rating & Genres may change later.
1. Death - Again!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, don't own them – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and Discworld belongs to Terry Pratchett and neither of them belongs to me; I'm just playing in their sandboxes.

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**Author's Notes:**

» This is very loosely based on the Reptilia28 Don't Fear the Reaper Death Challenge, whereby Harry dies at seventeen fighting Voldemort, is sent to Death's office, where Death rants at him for being killed yet again thus causing Death to be on the verge of getting fired (Harry must have died at least three times before) and for not marrying his soul-mate (some Granger girl). Harry signs a contract that he will be retaining his memories and then gets sent back to fix things.

» I know that Susan Sto-Helit of the Discworld Series is somewhat out of character but she's very difficult to write and, hey, it's an alternative reality in any case!

» I'm not a prolific writer – writing doesn't come easily to me – so updates will be infrequent, however, I do intend to finish this story, no matter how long it may take me.

» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione for all her help and support.

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**CHAPTER 1: DEATH – AGAIN!**

Harry opened his eyes to see a Being with a skeletal face, wearing a black dress, black high-heeled boots, a black cloak and holding a scythe looking at him.

"HARRY POTTER? Oh no, not again! Ahem." The Being coughed, clearing its throat. Suddenly the Being's face looked a lot less skeletal and morphed into that of a young woman. She had white hair with a black streak down it, and as Harry watched her open-mouthed, it kept rearranging itself into a variety of different styles. "Just give me a moment," she said taking several deep breaths. When the woman's hair had settled itself into a tight bun, she snapped her fingers and the pair of them appeared in an office with walls full of hour-glasses, filing cabinets and books, while a strange scratching sound filled the air.

"Again, Harry? Really? Just how hard is it to live your life without dying before your time? I'm on the verge of being fired, thanks to you! Every time you die prematurely, Voldemort wins, he decimates the wizarding world, the muggles learn about him, they try to take him out with missiles and magicals around the world are persecuted in witch hunts, all thanks to you dying before you manage to kill Tom Riddle! Because your premature deaths keep causing Armageddon, more or less, _I'm_ on the verge of being fired. The Grim Reaper is my grandfather, Harry. This job, the characteristics of Death, that's all hereditary. I was _born_ to this job. Do you know how embarrassing it is for Death's granddaughter to be on her last warning? No, don't say anything. Just sit down and wait a minute!" she snapped crossly.

As a bemused Harry seated himself in front of the desk, the strange woman then turned to the wall of bookcases, held out her hand and in a doom-laden voice, much like the slamming of coffin lids, said, "HARRY POTTER." A book flew into her hand and she put it down on the desk. Then she turned to the wall of hour-glasses and repeated the process. Flouncing into her seat with a huff, she spoke again. "Look around, Harry. Tell me what you see."

Harry looked and saw black. The furniture was black, the floor was black, nearly everything was black. Except for the walls: these were bone white. As was the skull-and-scythe motif on the black carpet beneath his feet. And yet somehow it was all in different shades of black, so he could see everything clearly. "Well, I see a lot of black," he said hesitantly.

"No, Harry," she sighed. "I'm not asking your opinion of the décor. Take a look at this." She turned the hour-glass to him and he saw his name on it. "Now, compare that to all the other ones in this room."

The woman sounded remarkably like his rather strict teacher, Minerva McGonagall, minus the Scottish accent. Feeling as though he was sitting in one of Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classes, he looked closely at the items on the desk and then at the ones on the bookshelves. With a shrug of his shoulders he looked back at her bewilderedly.

"Harry, the sand in those life-timers on the shelves is moving. People live their lives and the sand falls until they die. Once that happens and all the sand is at the bottom of the life-timer, it disappears, as that person's life-time has ended." Harry looked around again and noticed that as they spoke, life-timers were appearing and disappearing with quiet pops.

"You have passed into Death's Domain, Harry," she continued. "That means all the sand in your glass should have run out and you should be dead. Now look at your life-timer. The sand isn't moving. There's sand there, in the top of the life-timer, it hasn't run out. You can even see the stream flowing down to the bottom. But it's not actually flowing, it's in stasis. That's because you're not supposed to be dead. You died before your time again! So the life-timer is stuck."

Then she showed the book to him. "Harry Potter," it said on its cover. She opened it to the last page and Harry read:

.

_Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear –_

_He saw the thin, bloodless lips move, a flash of green light, and everything was gone...¹_

.

"This is your autobiography. Can you hear that scratching sound? That's lives writing themselves, but yours has stopped. Not ended, stopped." Harry looked and saw that instead of words, row upon row of dots was appearing. There's nothing recording because you're here, in Death's Domain. Dead before your time! Again!"

"So what happens next, if I'm dead now? And what do you mean, again?"

Susan sighed again. "Okay, let's start over. I'm Susan Sto-Helit and I'm Death's granddaughter. Death, or the Grim Reaper, is an anthropomorphic personification whose Duty is to make sure that life ends when it's supposed to. His jurisdiction only used to be the Discworld but there's been leakages between your world and the Discworld and so his jurisdiction has been extended. However, that's a bit much for one sole anthropomorphic personification to take care of by himself, especially when no matter how fascinated by humans he may be, he _really_ doesn't understand them. So Azrael (he's the big boss, the Great Attractor and the Death of Universes) insisted I take on the extra Duty.

"As Death's granddaughter, I used to inherit Granddad's Duty on Discworld when he was unavailable, so Azrael decided I may as well take care of Earth on Granddad's behalf. I tried to get out of it, believe me – I was perfectly happy just trying to be a normal human back on Discworld, or at least as normal a human being as Death's granddaughter can be – but Azrael isn't someone you can say no to. I have to say that the entire population of the Discworld all together – and that's including _all_ species, even animals – isn't nearly as much trouble as the magical beings on Earth. Granddad is _not_ going to be happy with me. Or, rather, he wouldn't be if he could understood emotions. And Azrael is likely to replace me with the Death of Rats. Do you know how annoying that little rat is? He'll never stop sniggering!"

At that, Harry heard a "Snh, snh, snh" sound coming from behind him. He turned round and on a shelf behind him was a skeletal rat wearing a black cloak, carrying a scythe and sniggering, just as Susan had predicted. Susan threw Harry's autobiography at it. "Out!" she exclaimed and with a snap of its skeletal fingers, the rat had disappeared, the book bouncing harmlessly off the shelf where it had been standing a moment before and landing on the floor.

"You, Harry Potter, have now died six times. You were supposed to defeat Tom Riddle, neutralise Albus Dumbledore's propensity for meddling, marry your soul-mate – some Granger girl – and live to the ripe old age of 163." Susan turned to the wall of filing cabinets and summoned a file, the same way she had summoned the life-timer and Harry's autobiography. She flipped it open and started leafing through it.

"_Hermione_ is my soul-mate? What about Ginny?" All these revelations were a bit much for Harry to take in at once, so he latched on to the one thing that made sense to him—sort of.

"Do you really want to marry a girl who looks just like your mother? Seriously? Do you know how disturbing that is? Besides, can you honestly tell me that she wants to marry Harry Potter and not the Boy-Who-Lived? That she even knows who _Harry_ is?"

"So I'm supposed to marry Hermione then?"

"You don't have to, I suppose, but she is your soul-mate and you won't be complete or happy without her."

Harry thought about that. Susan was right that Ginny did not really know him and that she had been obsessed for years with the myth of the Boy-Who-Lived. Hermione, on the other hand... Well, Hermione knew _Harry_. And cared about _Harry_. She had always been there for him and had supported him, no matter what. He always felt centred and at peace when he was with her, even when they were fighting. She made him believe that he was not alone. Suddenly, something clicked into place within him, something that he had not even realised was out of place until he felt the _rightness_ of his realisation. That ache he felt during the school holidays, that feeling of something missing, the relief that came as soon as he saw Hermione again... Susan was right. Hermione completed him. Hermione was his happiness. Without Hermione, he was empty, he was nothing. A look of wonder crossed his face.

"Hermione really is my soul-mate, isn't she?" he asked in awe.

"Yes, she really is. Oh, wait a minute... Sorry, no; it's not the Granger girl, it's Graynge."

"Graynge? Who's that? I don't know anyone called Graynge! And Hermione, it has to be her; it can't be anyone else." Harry looked desperately at Susan.

"That's what's written here and these files are never wrong. Look, Hermione Graynge."

"_Hermione_ Graynge?"

"Yes. Oh! Hmm, let's see if we can find about more her."

Susan turned back towards the filing cabinet. "HERMIONE GRAYNGE," she intoned. A file came flying out and landed on the desk in front of her. She opened it, showing Harry the picture attached to the inside cover. "Do you recognise her?"

"That's Hermione," Harry said in confusion.

"Yes, we know that. Hermione Graynge, your soul-mate."

"No, that's _my_ Hermione. Hermione Granger."

Susan looked in Hermione's file again. Then she went back to Harry's file and noticing that the words Hermione Graynge were the very last words on the page, she turned it over. "Okay, relax," she said. "Hermione Graynge AKA Hermione Granger. She's been using an alias."

"But... but... _why_?" Harry looked completely dumbfounded. What possible reason could Hermione have to use an alias, especially that was so close to her apparent real name? And why did she never confide in him about her name. He was her best friend, after all.

"I don't know but I suggest we get her in here and ask her," Susan proposed, her hair rearranging itself again as she spoke.

"You can do that? Bring someone living into Death's realm?" Harry asked dubiously.

"Yes, though we're not supposed to. Azrael doesn't like it ever since Granddad took on my Dad as an apprentice and everything went a bit haywire. But I won't need to this time because she's also here waiting to be processed."

"She's dead? My Hermione died?" Harry whispered despairingly.

"I'm afraid so, Harry," Susan replied gently. "She also died before her time though, so her soul hasn't moved on. She's waiting to be processed after you."

"Can I see her? Please? Where is she?" Harry leapt out of his seat and spun round, looking for a door so that he could go and find his Hermione.

"Harry, calm down. I'm sorry, I can't process you together because she won't be going back with her memories but I'll let you see her before you go back."

"No, she needs to have her memories too. Wait, you're sending me back?"

"I'm sending you both back. You get to live your life again but this is your last chance, Harry. You're going back to your seventh life. You know that seven is a magical number, don't you? Well, that's how many chances at life you get if you die before your time. So because you're on your last chance, you get to keep your memories. Hermione isn't on her last chance, so she doesn't."

"If I have to defeat Tom Riddle without being manipulated by Dumbledore in the process, then I need Hermione to have her memories. I couldn't bear to remember the past and know that she doesn't have any memory of it. I don't think I could handle that. Besides, she's the brains of the operation and I really can't do it without her."

Susan sighed yet again. Harry was making some good points. She knew she was not supposed to interfere but she also knew that her Grandfather had meddled many times, in particular by involving her in situations that he himself was unable to deal with because they required someone human. Or mostly human in her case, she supposed.

"Sit down, Harry. I'll bring Hermione in here and you can talk to her. I'm not promising anything but if you can both convince me that she also needs her memories, then I'll see what I can do."

Susan snapped her fingers and suddenly a petite girl with bushy, brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes appeared.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled.

A moment later, Hermione had attached herself firmly to Harry and showed no signs of letting go. Her arms were wound tightly around his neck and her face was buried in the crook of his neck as she cried silently. He put his arms around her in return and laid his cheek gently on the top of her head. He breathed in the scent of her hair, his eyes closing in bliss at the feel of his soul-mate in his embrace.

"Harry! Oh, my Harry!" Hermione sobbed.

"Hello, my love," he said, smiling down at her as she raised her head to look questioningly into his eyes.

"I love you more than I could possibly say, Hermione. I was a fool not to realise it earlier but Susan helped me see clearly."

"Susan?"

"That would be me," Susan interjected. "Susan Sto-Helit, at your service. I greet people after their deaths and help them move on to their next great adventure. Only in your cases, I won't be helping you move on just yet. You weren't supposed to die in the war, you were both supposed to die peacefully of old age together, holding each other in your arms as you slept."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and smiled. "I want to hold you in my arms for the rest of our lives."

"I don't ever want to leave your arms, my Harry. I love you, too – so very much."

Harry bent down and kissed his soul-mate. He felt a warmth spreading all through him, something that he had not felt even with Ginny. He reached out and gently tucked a stray curl behind Hermione's ear, revelling in the feelings of rightness and peace that being with Hermione brought to him.

"Come over here you two and sit down. We have a lot to discuss," instructed Susan.

A second chair had appeared beside Harry's but Hermione ignored it in favour of planting herself on Harry's lap, as he wound his arms tightly around her waist. Susan gestured towards the second chair and Hermione firmly shook her head. "I'm not letting go of him," she declared stubbornly, and kissed Harry's cheek.

"Erm, before we get started, you do know that there's a very angry Severus Snape waiting impatiently out there, don't you?" Hermione inquired. "You might want to deal with him first because I think he's liable to explode if he has to wait much longer."

"Snape's here too?" Harry exclaimed?

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry. And, yes, he is."

"If he's here does that mean he also died before his time and will be sent back to relive his life?" Harry asked Susan. She nodded and Harry continued to question her. "How many chances has he had?"

"I can't tell you that, Harry. It's his life, not yours."

"But if we're all here together, then wouldn't it help if we can all plan together and then all go back with our memories intact?"

"Harry, I can possibly justify sending Hermione back with her memories intact because she's your soul-mate but Professor Snape..."

A mulish look crossed Harry's face. "What chance is he on, Susan?" he asked again, adamantly.

Shrugging her shoulders, she gave in. "I'm not sure, I need to check his file. SEVERUS SNAPE," she intoned. A file came flying at her and she caught and opened it. She skimmed the file and said, "Well, well, well. Guess what? He's on his last chance as well. Good thinking, Harry." She snapped her fingers and Severus Snape, clearly incandescent with rage, appeared on the chair next to Harry and Hermione. The dark-haired wizard blinked in astonishment when he identified the two people sitting next to him.

"Potter? Granger? What kind of purgatory is this? Can't I even get peace in my death?" As the furious man began to rant in anger, Susan interrupted.

"SILENCE," she said. It was her ominous and foreboding Death voice and it cowed even a livid Severus Snape instantly.

Susan had had enough. It had been a long, hard day for her and the knowledge that a second person now sat in her office, also on his last chance, was trying her last nerve. She was shocked that her own hour-glass had not appeared in front of her, indicating that she was on her way out, as had once happened to her grandfather before he managed to change Azrael's mind. Her own fury and worry was taken out on the three in front of her.

"All right, here's the deal. I'm the representation of Death and I'm here to give you all another chance because you all died before your time. Harry and Severus have both died six times and will be returning to their seventh lives. Seven, being the most magical number of all, is the maximum number of lives you get. If you mess this up, there's nothing we can do to fix it. Since this is their very last chance, they get to go back with their memories intact. Hermione has died three times and will be returning to her fourth life. Harry has requested that she also be allowed to return with her memories intact. Normally this would be impossible since she's not yet on her last life, but because she's Harry's soul-mate, because four is also a magical number and because for the first time, the three of you all happen to be here together, I'm going to bend the rules and allow it. Don't make me regret that decision! Now, you all have to sign magical contracts confirming that Death's Realm has allowed you to retain your memories." Three parchments and a quill appeared on the desk in front of them. "Once you've signed those, we can get down to some serious planning."

Hermione picked up her and Harry's contracts and read them quickly. She leaned over to the desk and signed her contract, handing the quill to Harry, who followed suit. Severus scowled but did likewise and the planning began.

"Severus," Susan said. "Your life is going to have to change drastically or you'll never succeed. For one thing, you were never meant to be with Lily Evans."

Severus looked like he was about to interrupt and Susan held up her hand to stop him. "You have a soul-mate, Severus. One who will complete you and make you happier than Lily ever could. You didn't meet her last time because she died before you had a chance to find her. I'm sending you back to the day you first spoke to Lily and Petunia Evans. If you don't alienate Petunia, then this time you'll become their brother. If you're not competing with James Potter for Lily's affections, you'll befriend the Marauders. You'll find relief from your father, you won't be bullied at school, you won't become a Death Eater and you won't need to spend your life spying – after all, you already know all that you need to know about the Voldemort Blood Wars and how to defeat him. If you do all this, Severus, I promise that you _will_ meet your soul-mate and you _will_ live a long and happy life."

Susan knew from previous dealings with the recalcitrant wizard in front of her that it would be much easier just to lay everything out in front of him and not waste time with promises and enticements. He could then take it or leave it and if he thought for one moment that she was trying to manipulate him like Albus Dumbledore had done in all his previous lives, then he would most definitely leave it, so it would be better to be open and honest with him.

Listening to Susan, Severus looked very thoughtful. He pondered what Susan was saying and after a few long minutes, he nodded. "All right," he said stoically. "I don't suppose I have much to lose by giving it a try. It certainly can't turn out worse than my last attempt at life."

"Good," Susan said. "Now, you will be able to save many of the people who died – Cedric Diggory, Colin Creevey, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, Ted Tonks, Fred Weasley, Sirius Black and many others. You might even be able to save Frank and Alice Longbottom from their fate. However, it's unlikely that you'll be able to save the lives of James and Lily Potter."

As Harry and Severus both looked at Susan in horror, she explained. "The only way to save them is if you manage to locate and destroy all of the horcruxes _before_ Sybill Trelawney makes the prophecy about Harry. Once that prophecy is made, James and Lily's fates will be set in stone and cannot be changed."

"If I become a Death Eater again, I can try and get the horcruxes..."

"No!" Hermione interrupted urgently. "Professor, in all the years you knew Lucius Malfoy, in all the years you were godfather to his son, did you ever know where his cache of dark artefacts was hidden? Did you ever even have the opportunity to roam freely around Malfoy Manor to try and find it? And what about the Lestrange vault in Gringotts? Would you be able to access that?"

"No," he replied resignedly, "but Lily..."

Hermione leaned over and put her hand comfortingly on his arm. "Sir, I know this is hard for you. I would give anything if Lily and James could be saved, for Harry's sake _and_ for yours, but don't become a Death Eater unless you truly can save them. It's not worth the misery you'll have to suffer. Instead, focus on making sure Harry has a happy childhood after the loss of his parents. Do that for Lily. She died to protect Harry. Don't you think she'd consider the sacrifice worthwhile just as long as you and Harry are happy and safe?"

"Hermione..." Harry said in anguish, tears pooling in his bright, green eyes.

She put her arms around him again and hugged him hard. "I'm so sorry, Harry. Really I am. I'd love it if you could grow up with your parents but if that's not possible, then isn't it better that Professor Snape be your uncle? Isn't it better that he lives a happy life than that he spend his entire adulthood suffering the Dark Mark? He deserves the chance at a good life just as much as you do and this way he'll be able to make sure you have a happy life too, even though you won't have your parents."

Harry buried his face against Hermione and let the tears come. He had never actually mourned for his parents before. Petunia and Vernon Dursley had made it impossible for him even to ask about his parents, let alone grieve their loss. Then, after starting Hogwarts, he had been too busy merely trying to survive. It seemed that there was a significant, and usually life-threatening, incident involving him most years at Halloween, with even more dangerous incidents occurring at the end of every school year. Consequently, he was never able to take the time on Halloween to commemorate his parents' deaths, especially as Halloween was always a celebration at Hogwarts. At this moment, he finally took the time to mourn. As he cried, Hermione kept her arms around him and rubbed his back comfortingly until he was composed and ready to continue the planning session.

"Harry, you will meet Hermione much earlier this time." At this, both youngsters' faces lit up with delight. "However, you won't regain your memories until later. You can't be infants or toddlers with the memories and knowledge of eighteen year olds. If you regain your memories on Hermione's eleventh birthday, that will give you approximately a year to process them and make sure you know how to behave convincingly as eleven year olds before you start Hogwarts. Severus, you will need to start teaching them both Occlumency as soon as you possibly can. No one can know that they have knowledge of the future or that they are trying to change it, especially not Albus Dumbledore. Hermione, do you know when you first did accidental magic?"

"I'm not sure," she mused. "I believe it was round about the age of four. My Mum had taken my book away so I could have a nap and the next thing I knew, it was in my bed with me. I could never have reached it myself from where Mum put it and I didn't levitate it, it just appeared. I think I must have summoned it. It's possible there were other indications before then but that was the first tangible sign of magic that I can recall."

Susan nodded. "Severus, if everything happens the way it should, you, Harry, Sirius, Remus and Petunia will all know Hermione from infancy. As soon as she starts showing signs of accidental magic, you can tell her and her family about magic and start teaching her and Harry Occlumency. I know they'll be very young but if you introduce it gradually from an early age, then they should be proficient by the time they start Hogwarts. That's very important."

"Erm..."

"What is it, Harry?"

"Professor Snape tried to teach me Occlumency before and it was an unmitigated disaster, not just because we hated each other at that time but because, well... we were both at fault, I guess. Professor Snape never really explained to me what to do and I didn't make much effort to understand, I suppose."

Severus snorted and Hermione intervened again, before Harry could lose his temper with the surly man. "Professor, perhaps we could start by learning how to meditate? We could go to a children's yoga class or learn martial arts. Both of those would teach us meditation techniques and mental control. Once we've been doing those for a few years and are competent in clearing our minds, maybe then you could start to teach us techniques for building barriers?"

Snape nodded in approval at this plan. "Not only would learning to meditate teach you to clear your minds, it will also help you control your accidental magic while you are young. That is indeed a good idea, Miss Granger. And I owe you an apology, Mr Potter. Professor McGonagall and I both tried to convince the Headmaster that given our somewhat contentious relationship, it would have been better had he tried to teach you Occlumency himself, but he insisted that I do it. He also insisted that I give you a crash course so that you learn as quickly as possible, instead of building up your shields gradually, the way Occlumency should be taught. Between our poor relationship and the Headmaster's interference, as you say, it was an unmitigated disaster. I will do better next time."

"Thank you, Sir," said Harry quietly. "And I apologise for viewing the memories you had stored in your pensieve. Although, in a way I'm glad I did see them. Not to gloat," he hastened to assure his again irate professor, "but because I needed to see what my father and Sirius were really like. I finally understood why you hated them and, well, you had good reason. That's the way my cousin Dudley always treated me and while he and I did kind of call a truce the last time we saw each other, I'm not sure if I could ever truly move past it. I can't bear bullying. That's one of the reasons why Malfoy always managed to wind me up so easily: he was nothing more than a petty bully. I would like to apologise to you for the treatment you received at hands of my father and godfather, Sir."

"Thank you, Mr Potter," Snape said hoarsely. "That's a honourable gesture on your part and I appreciate it."

Both men were embarrassed by the emotions they had shared and Harry rushed to change the subject. "I think I'd prefer martial arts to yoga," he surmised. "It's good defence – it would mean I wouldn't be helpless without a wand – and I think I would relate to it better than yoga."

"I'd really like to learn yoga," said Hermione. "I often have problems sleeping because my mind is so busy and knowing yoga would be very calming."

"You should try to learn a defensive technique as well, Miss Granger. It could be very advantageous to you," Severus lectured. "And if, as you say, learning martial arts will also teach you meditation, then that will help you with that problem."

"There's lots of different types of martial arts, Hermione. You could investigate and see what would suit you best. It's not like you've never done any physical fighting – I haven't forgotten that punch you gave Malfoy in third year!" laughed Harry.

Hermione looked embarrassed. "My brother liked to box and he used to spar with me a little bit. Before I went off to Hogwarts, he taught me some basic techniques because he thought I should know _some_ self-defence, even though I had absolutely no interest in most physical activities. I enjoyed it, though, and I picked up more than he realised. You're right, Harry, Professor. I'll try a few different types of defence classes and see what works for me."

"Kick-boxing!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "That might suit you."

"There's no need to decide now," Severus suggested. "It will depend partly on what classes are available where you grow up. It would also be helpful if you learned the same form of martial arts, so that you can keep practising against each other once you start Hogwarts, otherwise it may be hard to keep up your skills."

"That's a very good point, Professor," Harry said, then looked at the bushy-haired witch, still perched on his lap. "I didn't know you had a brother, Hermione," he continued.

"I didn't really talk about my family last time round," said Hermione. "Dumbledore didn't want me to."

"Why in Merlin's name would Dumbledore not want you to talk about your family?" exclaimed Severus in surprise. "I know he manipulated my and Potter's lives and why he did it, but why did he feel a need to interfere with yours as well?"

"Your parents are dentists, Hermione. Why would he have a problem with that?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"Yes, my parents are dentists but my father is also the Earl of Wolsingham². Interestingly, about a hundred years or so after the Founders, there was a saint by the name of Godric who lived in Wolsingham for a couple of years – I wonder if that had anything to do with me being sorted into Gryffindor? Anyway, our family name is actually Graynge. I used Granger in the magical world because it was more discreet; Dumbledore persuaded us that I should pretend to be plain Hermione Granger. He said that if it was found out that Lady Hermione Graynge, the daughter of the Earl of Wolsingham, attended Hogwarts, the attention that would generate could very possibly leak into the muggle world and that would violate the Statute of Secrecy. Now I wonder if that was just an excuse and really he was more interested in encouraging those who didn't know differently, to continue thinking of muggles and muggleborns as inferior. I'm not sure whether Dumbledore was truly misguided or if he really was a manipulative, uncaring reprobate. He certainly sent out mixed messages in everything he did."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Albus Dumbledore is probably one of the biggest reasons for the divide between the Slytherins and the other Houses but I think it's more than that. He comes across as being pro-Gryffindor and anti-Slytherin but I think that in reality he panders to purebloods and halfbloods from the old magical families, regardless of the House they're in, and lets anyone else go hang unless they're useful to him. In that respect, he was very like Professor Slughorn but was far less obvious about it. People like Professor Snape here turned to the Death Eaters because they weren't welcomed anywhere else.

"I don't want to speak badly of your father and Sirius, Harry, but if Dumbledore had stopped the Marauders from bullying him, then Professor Snape might have felt that he had other options. Sirius tried to _kill_ Professor Snape, using Remus as his murder weapon. Not only did Sirius not care what would have happened to Remus if he had attacked Professor Snape while transformed, but Sirius never saw anything wrong with what he did. _Never._ He felt the fact that it was Severus Snape was sufficient justification for his actions. And Dumbledore never tried to make him see differently. He didn't even punish Sirius, did he, Professor? Dumbledore didn't care that one of his students was nearly murdered; he was far more concerned about the influential Potter and Black heirs than the misfit Slytherin who didn't have anyone to turn to for support. He let the Marauders run riot, just like he did with Draco Malfoy and his cohorts in our time."

Hermione saw that Professor Snape was bright red with embarrassment, while Harry was looking down mutely in shame at his father and godfather's despicable behaviour and she plunged on bravely.

"Dumbledore may have been the so-called Leader of the Light but he actually fostered discord and conflict rather than unity. He was Headmaster of Hogwarts, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. He had enormous influence, but what did he actually do with that influence? He sat back and let extremist bigots do whatever they wanted, that's what he did. He could have made Muggle Studies compulsory – taught by a competent teacher – and tried to bring about change through education. He could have had a compulsory course introducing Muggleborns and Muggle-raised to the wizarding world, teaching us their customs and traditions. Instead, the elective Muggles Studies course was a joke and people like you and me, Harry, were left to sink or swim on our own. We weren't given any help integrating into the wizarding world – we weren't even taught the basics, like how to write with a quill! We probably offended those raised in the wizarding world every time we opened our mouths. Not intentionally, but because Albus Dumbledore never made any effort to ensure that we were taught wizarding ways.

"You're the last remaining member of an Ancient and Noble House, Harry, so despite you being a half-blood, the pureblood bigots won't reject you entirely because of your blood status. I'm a Muggleborn, though, and they absolutely despise me for that. However, if they were going to accept any Muggleborn, I would imagine that it would be the daughter of a Peer of the Realm. Heck, I'm not the daughter of just any Peer of the Realm either. My family has held that title since Saxon times; it's the oldest Peerage still extant. The first Malfoy came to Britain from France with the Norman invasion in 1066. Well, my family had already held our Peerage for generations before the Normans invaded Britain.

"If we want to make a difference this time round, then we need make people like Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson understand that there is no reason to despise Muggleborns or even Muggles. We need to begin with me because of my rank and that means playing up my heritage – and it's a heritage to be proud of. I'm sure Dumbledore wanted me to keep it hidden so that those who were inclined to look down on Muggleborns wouldn't ever come to regard us as anything other than uncouth barbarians. Remember he used to share Grindelwald's beliefs and I don't think he's changed completely. Usually Professor McGonagall goes to visit all the Muggleborn students to tell them they're magical but Professor Dumbledore came with her on my visit. Why? Why did I warrant special treatment? It's unheard of for the Headmaster to accompany the Deputy Head on these visits. He hid it well but there was something off about him. We didn't comply with his idea of Muggles and it didn't sit well with him, so he tried to make me fit into what he considered the typical Muggleborn mould and we were so overwhelmed by this strange, new world we were being introduced to that we took everything the Headmaster said at face value and allowed him to dictate that I should hide my family history. It was only after you and I became friends, Harry, and he realised that I was useful to you, that his attitude towards me began to change somewhat. If we're going to succeed, we need to reach out to the Slytherins and try to negate both Riddle _and_ Dumbledore's teachings. We're going to need all the help we can get with that, so I think that this time round I should be Lady Hermione Graynge and _not_ merely Hermione Granger."

"Dumbledore must have been pretty persuasive last time when he got you to agree to pretend to be someone else. How will you get around that this time?" Harry had listened to Hermione's story with rapt attention. Everything she had said about Dumbledore made sense, plus it hurt him a little to hear how she had suppressed her own heritage at the Headmaster's suggestion. As the Boy-Who-Lived's best friend and the most intelligent witch of her age, she had attracted more attention than any other Muggleborn who had been at Hogwarts with them, and it saddened Harry to know that some of the prejudice and hatred she had suffered could have been alleviated somewhat had Dumbledore not manipulated Hermione into pretending to be someone else.

"Do you remember Justin Finch-Fletchley telling us in second year that he would have gone to Eton if he hadn't gone to Hogwarts?" Harry nodded and Hermione continued, "Well, my brother, Benedick, went to Eton with Justin's older brother. Benedick often had school friends visit during the school holidays and last time round, Jason Finch-Fletchley came to stay during the summer before our first year and again the summer before second year. I never said anything to Justin because I was masquerading as Hermione Granger then, but I think that this time I need to make a point of cultivating the Finch-Fletchleys. Perhaps Professor Snape could also arrange for us to meet some other people our age as soon as my magic has been recognised: Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and Luna Lovegood, perhaps. The more people who know me _before_ I start Hogwarts, especially from families who are influential in the wizarding world, the more unrealistic it will be for me to hide my real identity.

"And if on top of that, Professor Snape and Sirius support me when I want to remain Lady Hermione Graynge, then it will be harder for Professor Dumbledore to insist. In fact, given the potential connection with the Finch-Fletchleys, perhaps we could arrange a pre-Hogwarts get-together for the Muggleborns and Muggle-raised from our year, if Professor Snape will have access to that information. We could justify it under the guise of how much I would have hated to enter this new world completely unprepared and not knowing anyone or anything about it, but since I'll be fortunate enough not to be in that position since I'll have learned about the magical world from a young age, I'd like to help the others who are going to be in the position I would have otherwise been in."

"A masterful analysis, Miss Granger... sorry, Lady Hermione. Ten points to Gryffindor," drawled Severus. "Of course, your plan needs some polishing to be truly Slytherin but it's a good starting point."

Harry smiled at Susan. "And that's why I wanted Hermione to retain her memories. We need her brain if we're going to succeed."

At that, Hermione grinned a Cheshire Cat grin and gave Harry a quick kiss. "Thank you," she said to him softly, then seeing his smile fade, asked, "What's wrong, my love?"

"It... it's Dumbledore," he burst out. "I realised when I saw that memory of him telling Professor Snape that I had to die that he'd been manipulating me all along but I hadn't realised just _how much_ he'd interfered. Sirius: why didn't Dumbledore insist that he be given a trial? He may not have known at first that Wormtail was my parents' secret keeper but after Sirius escaped and we saved him, Dumbledore could have gone to the Wizengamot to demand a trial. There was a Kiss on Sight order, for Merlin's sake. If it had become known that Sirius had never received a trial, then that at least might have been cancelled. And Remus: why was he the only werewolf ever to attend Hogwarts? Why no others before or since? Especially after the Wolfsbane potion was developed. I know there was that time at the end of our third year when Remus forgot to take his potion but a student attending Hogwarts wouldn't merely be handed the potion and trusted to take it the way Remus was as a member of staff. Any students would have been supervised by Madam Pomfrey as the school Mediwitch, or by Professor Snape as the brewer of the potion, to make absolutely certain that they took it with no mishaps."

"Those are all excellent points, Mr Potter, and ones which we should certainly consider before going back," Severus approved.

"My meeting the Weasleys at the beginning of first year... that was contrived by Dumbledore too, wasn't it?" Harry continued.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Harry," said Hermione quietly.

"After Uncle Vernon tried to prevent me getting my Hogwarts letter, Dumbledore sent Hagrid to give it to me and take me to Diagon Alley to get my school things. Don't get me wrong – I like Hagrid, he has a good heart and he was my first friend, but he himself admitted that he wasn't the right person to introduce me to the wizarding world. He gave me the bare bones of my history and never thought to suggest I should buy other books in addition to those on the school list, to give me more general knowledge of the wizarding world, or to prepare myself for what the being the Boy-Who-Lived would mean. I was completely overwhelmed by everything, and being able to buy things for myself was such an alien concept back then that it never even crossed my mind that it may be useful to buy books that weren't on the school book list.

"Hagrid also forgot to tell me how to get onto the platform. It's possible it genuinely didn't occur to him to tell me and Dumbledore decided to make use of that, but it wouldn't surprise me if Dumbledore did something to Hagrid to make sure he wouldn't tell me. The Dursleys had left me at the station and I was desperately trying to find the platform when I heard Molly Weasley loudly talking about the station being packed with Muggles and asking her family which platform they needed. Why did she need to ask that? It's _always_ Platform 9¾, she must have known that. And surely she knows better than to talk about muggles at full volume in case they hear her? But I was so grateful to see this family with a pet owl, and to hear them talking about Muggles and Platform 9¾, that I didn't question it. I just went up to her and asked her how to get on the platform. The next thing I knew, I was on the train, sitting in a compartment with Ron.

"I was already inclined to dislike Draco Malfoy, as he hadn't made a good impression on me when I happened to meet him in Diagon Alley, and Ron just fostered that opinion when Malfoy came into our compartment on the train. Not knowing any different, I believed everything Ron said about the wizarding world and so I begged the Sorting Hat to put me anywhere but Slytherin, because I didn't want to want to be in the same House as Malfoy, the House that Ron and Hagrid had both told me was the House of Evil. So the Hat put me in Gryffindor and suddenly I was Ronald Weasley's best friend and allowing myself to be guided by him about the wizarding world. I knew that Ron doesn't think, and is as prejudiced in his own way as the pureblood bigots, and yet I never once questioned his beliefs. I just went along with everything he told me because I was so grateful to have a friend. But Dumbledore set it up, didn't he? He made sure that not only would I be influenced by a Light oriented family but that it would be one which was completely and unquestioningly loyal to him. Was that to make sure I would be willing to die for the cause? Was that all I ever was to him? A weapon to be discarded? And the Weasleys, did they truly ever care about _Harry_?"

"I'm not sure," sighed Severus, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Arthur is good man at heart but he's so henpecked by Molly that over the years he's come to focus his attention primarily on his fascination with Muggles and let Molly do as she will at home. William, Charles and the twins are all good people and they're stronger-willed than Arthur. They all have brains and they use them. They think for themselves. They all know right from wrong and I think they – and even Arthur – probably all cared about Harry. Molly, Percival, Ronald and Ginevra are the problem.

"Percival isn't bad per se but he cares for little but his own ambitions – why that boy wasn't placed in Slytherin, I don't know."

"Is Dumbledore able to manipulate the Sorting Hat at all? Could he have made sure that Percy was sorted into Gryffindor?" Hermione asked consideringly.

"He wouldn't have needed to if Percy had asked for Gryffindor. I told the Hat I didn't want to go into Slytherin and it took my preference into account. Percy would have wanted to go Gryffindor because that's where Weasley's always go, just like Malfoys are always in Slytherin. Sirius also chose Gryffindor over Slytherin and the Hat listened to him," Harry replied.

"I don't know if the Headmaster can influence the Hat but I'm sure that if it is possible, Dumbledore would know how. As Harry says, though, it may not have been necessary if Percival asked to be sorted into Gryffindor," Severus conceded.

Looking sympathetically at Harry, Severus continued, "Ronald is desperate for attention and glory. He's thoughtless, heedless, careless, lazy, wilfully ignorant, inconsiderate, unsympathetic, intolerant, quick to anger and he has a rather unpleasant tongue on him. He also has a deep-rooted prejudice, which has been instilled into him by his mother and he doesn't have the mental faculties to analyse and ultimately reject her indoctrination. He's rabidly anti-Slytherin and he sees the Boy-Who-Lived as both the beacon against them and his path to fame and recognition. I don't know if he ever saw you as a person and not as a symbol to be exploited for his own personal, supposed eminence."

"And Ginny? Why was I so interested in her instead of Hermione? Has she been dosing me with potions?" queried Harry.

"No, I don't think she was dosing you with potions as they wear off and it would have been too difficult to keep you dosed during the time you were back at the Dursleys and when Ronald abandoned you last year, not to mention Poppy would have picked up on it during the many times you were hospitalised in her Infirmary. Medical records, and in particular those of minors, have special charms on them so they can't be tampered with – not even by the great Albus Dumbledore! – so Albus wouldn't have been able to Obliviate Poppy and then delete any mention of you being potioned. It was more likely that with Dumbledore's encouragement, Molly simply created an enormous case of hero-worship in Ginevra from the time she was an infant. It wasn't potions but it was brain-washing, and very likely a long-lasting compulsion charm from Dumbledore as well," said Severus thoughtfully.

"Yes," agreed Susan, who had been sitting quietly listening as Harry, Hermione and Severus had analysed their situation. "Dumbledore wanted you connected to the Weasleys, who are blindly supportive of him and thus easily manipulated. I imagine he felt that a little sister wasn't a strong enough connection and thought that if Ginevra were your wife, it would give him more control over you. You know, in many ways Ginny Weasley could be right for you: she's strong, feisty, loyal to her family, intelligent and shares interests with you. However, she belittles Hermione as much as Ron does; plus, she has Molly's temper and is as intolerant of things that don't fit her worldview as Molly, Percy and Ron are. Most important of all, she doesn't love you. She's driven by obsession – she's both self-obsessed and she's also a fangirl who is obsessed with the Boy-Who-Lived. She's a fangirl with a whopping, great crush on the Boy-Who-Lived and she not only has no clue who Harry really is, but I'm not sure she realises that _Harry_ even exists."

"And Molly?"

"She had her little fantasy that you would marry her daughter and Hermione would marry Ronald and you would all be one big, happy, Weasley family. The fact that, as Severus said, she practically brainwashed Ginevra into falling for the Boy-Who-Lived long before she ever met you, or the fact that Ronald and Hermione were vastly inappropriate for each other, simply didn't register with Molly. She only heard and saw what she wanted to and what she saw in you and Ginevra was a reincarnation of your parents; she was convinced it was fated and Dumbledore's endorsement only encouraged her in that fantasy. The fact that by marrying you, Ginevra would be financially secure wouldn't have hurt, either. I'm not sure if she meant it maliciously, though – she was manipulated by a master, after all."

"So we should try and avoid them next time round?" Harry suggested ruefully.

"It would probably be a good idea," agreed Hermione. "We can be friendly with them – there's no point in making enemies of them – but not close friends, especially if we want to try and make friends with any Slytherins. Molly and Ron would never stand for it. Think about it, Harry. Have you _ever_ heard Ron say _anything_ good about _any_ Slytherin?"

"No, no I haven't," he replied with a sigh.

"Not all Slytherins are bad, you know. Of course, it was probably more than their life's worth for most of them to do anything other than badmouth Muggleborns while they had to live with all the junior Death Eaters at school but there were a number of people in Slytherin who came from neutral families. I actually got on fairly well with Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis during Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes. I wouldn't say we were good friends but we were perfectly civil to each other when we had to work together."

"Why did you never mention that?"

"Can you imagine Ron's reaction if I'd ever told him that I was on even slightly friendly terms with a couple of Slytherins?" she demanded.

Harry shuddered at the thought. "It wouldn't have been pretty," he said.

"It would have been worse than third year. He would probably have never spoken to me again and you would have followed his lead, Harry. I couldn't have borne that," a look of despair crossing her face at the mere thought.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said, hugging her.

"It's all right, Harry. I can't be your only friend, that wouldn't be healthy, but this time _please_ choose a best friend who won't do your thinking for you."

"Especially when he's not actually capable of thought himself," interjected Severus sardonically.

"That's the result of Dumbledore's influence," said Susan. "Although he wouldn't have had an issue with any Slytherins who were willing to pander to his ego, Dumbledore realised long ago that if he wanted to keep his followers, then he needed them to have an enemy to contend with so that he could be their leader. It was easier to foster an automatic distrust of an entire House than to encourage his followers to assess each individual on their own merits. That would have encouraged original thought instead of blindly following his dictates, and that was something the old manipulator couldn't risk happening."

"All of the Weasleys? Were they all like that?"

Bill certainly fought for the right reasons," answered Susan consideringly. "The Delacours may be an old, pureblood family but Fleur has Veela ancestry through her mother, which makes her part creature. Bill wasn't fighting Slytherins, he was fighting Death Eaters who would claim that his wife was a filthy half-breed who shouldn't be allowed to live. Tom Riddle's followers don't like part creatures, any more than they do half-bloods or Muggleborns.

"Charlie is more concerned with dragons than with politics – or even people for that matter, except for his family and close friends. Living in Romania ever since he left school made the war somewhat remote and theoretical for him. He fought because his family was fighting and because he knows right from wrong. Slytherins didn't play a part in his reasoning. The only time he went up against them was on the Quidditch pitch; the inter-house rivalry just didn't register on his radar apart from that.

"Even Fred and George aren't anti-Slytherin per se, Harry. While some may criticise them for always pranking and joking around, the light-heartedness and sense of fun that led to that passion prevented them from hating. While it didn't occur to them to try making friends with any Slytherins, neither was their relationship with the Slytherins contentious. Rather, for their first couple of years at Hogwarts, the twins tended to ignore them, apart from the occasional prank. It was really the antagonism between you, Ron, Hermione and Draco Malfoy that drew them into the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry.

"If the Slytherins had been willing to worship the almighty Albus Dumbledore, he would have done everything he could to encourage unity between all the Houses, under his banner. However, the Slytherins, being more cynical than most, tended to see through him and certainly weren't going to give him blind devotion; that's not in their nature, despite the number of them who were sucked in by Tom Riddle. So, while Dumbledore wasn't willing to go as far as to take action against anyone from any of the Ancient and/or Noble Houses, or even just of wealth and power, Dumbledore was happy to foster discord between those who supported him and those who didn't. There were undoubtedly those who agreed with and supported Tom Riddle's ideology but there were also those who, like Severus, simply had nowhere else to turn. It was either support Dumbledore or support Voldemort and there were no other options. The very few who managed to remain neutral did so solely because they had enough prestige and influence that both sides preferred to keep trying to court them rather than move against them."

"Which I never had," Severus commented bitterly. "Dumbledore had made it more than clear when I was a student that I was worthless, the dirt beneath the Marauders' feet. As a student in Hogwarts in Dumbledore's era, I wasn't even worthy of basic common courtesy and my welfare didn't cross his mind for a moment. Without wealth and influence, I needed a patron in order to make my way after Hogwarts, so when the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters offered me the one thing that Dumbledore didn't consider me worthy of – acceptance – I committed to them because what other choices did I have?"

"Under Dumbledore's reign as Headmaster of Hogwarts," Susan continued, "the antagonism between Slytherin and Gryffindor became so bad that in Molly's mind, Slytherin became synonymous with Death Eater and after her brothers were killed, she began to think of _Slytherins_ as being responsible for their deaths and not _Death Eaters_. Fred and George figured that becoming friendly with Slytherins just wasn't worth her wrath. After working with Severus in the Order and learning the truth about Sirius and Peter Pettigrew, Molly knew intellectually that not all Slytherins are evil and that bad people can come from other Houses, however, emotionally it wasn't so easy to change such long-held, deep-seated beliefs. And, of course, she had spent so many years equating Slytherin with Dark that up to a point, she brought up her family with that same attitude.

"Her influence has been strongest on Ron and Ginny, as Molly didn't become quite so anti-Slytherin until her brothers were killed. Bill and Charlie were approximately eleven and nine when that happened so they weren't brought up initially to believe particularly badly of Slytherin. Percy doesn't really see the bigger picture: his worldview is very small and narrow and remarkably self-centred, so Molly's attitude didn't make that much of an impact on him. The twins, Ronald and Ginevra got the least individual attention from Molly, however, that didn't particularly affect Fred and George, as their twin bond was more important to them and, really, all they needed. With Ronald and Ginevra it was quite damaging, though. Molly wasn't able to pay much time to them, so unlike with the older children, Ronald and Ginevra tended to be told what to think instead of being encouraged to consider and reason and work things out for themselves, simply because it was easier and quicker for Molly. Once the twins went to school and only Ronald and Ginevra were left at home she finally had time to give them individual attention, however, they were already nine and eight and by then the damage had been done. Add to that the fact that Ronald is the weakest-willed and least cerebral of the brothers and Ginevra didn't get any sort of counselling or treatment after being possessed by Tom Riddle, and you can see how they came to be so strongly swayed by her opinions," said Susan. "And because Ron, Ginny, Lavender Brown and Draco Malfoy and his gang all made Hermione feel so insecure, she didn't fight for you because she didn't believe you could be interested in her instead of Ginny."

Harry looked at the petite witch, who was still sitting in his lap but with her eyes now downcast. "Is that true, Hermione?" he asked caringly, the concern for his soul-mate clearly displayed on his face.

She nodded mutely. Harry cupped her cheek and gently turned her face until she was looking at him. "Don't ever think you're not worthy of me, Hermione. You're brilliant, you have incredible compassion and loyalty and, if anything, I'm unworthy of you."

She shook her head vehemently. "No, Harry. I'm as worthy of you as you are of me."

"Soul-mates?"

Her face lit up. "Soul-mates. Equals."

"I like the sound of that." Harry kissed Hermione and they revelled in the feelings of peace and completeness that brought to them.

"I think I might throw up," professed Snape disdainfully. "You two are positively nauseating. For Merlin's sake, let's start planning."

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¹ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling, Chapter 34.

² This is a completely fictitious peerage; everything I said about it, apart from the fact that there was a St Godric who lived in Wolsingham round about 1120 AD, is total fabrication.


	2. Becoming an Evans

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, don't own them – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and Susan Sto-Helit of the Discworld belongs to Terry Pratchett and neither of them belongs to me; I'm just playing in their sandboxes.

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**Author's Notes:**

» This story is very loosely based on the Reptilia28 "Don't Fear the Reaper" Death Challenge and will probably feature Severus more than Harry and Hermione, even though they will all be involved in the story.

» I'm not a prolific writer – writing doesn't come easily to me – so updates will be infrequent, however, I do intend to finish this story, no matter how long it may take me.

» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione for all her help and support.

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**CHAPTER 2: BECOMING AN EVANS**

Severus Snape blinked and looked around. He was in a nearly deserted playground, hiding behind a clump of bushes as a young Petunia and Lily Evans played on the swings. He looked down at himself and saw that he was in too-short jeans, a shabby, overlarge coat and a smock shirt. _"Great,"_ he thought. _"The mind of a thirty-eight year old in the body of a nine year old."_

.

_Lily had picked up a flower which had fallen from the bush behind which Snape lurked. Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was near enough to have a clear view, then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster._

_"Stop it!" shrieked Petunia._

_"It's not hurting you," said Lily, but she had closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground._

_"It's not right," said Petunia, but her eyes had followed the flower's flight to the ground and lingered upon it. "How do you do it?" she added, and there was definite longing in her voice_.¹

.

_"This was when I first went and spoke to them last time,"_ Severus mused. _"I wonder what will happen if I wait a minute instead of barging in and announcing that Lily managed to do that to the flower because she's a witch. What will Lily say and how will Petunia react?"_

As he continued to watch, remembering how scornful Petunia had been of his shabby clothes last time, he absently transfigured them wandlessly, so that while they appeared neither new nor expensive, his jeans and coat were now neat and well-fitting and his smock shirt had become a more conventional, albeit cheap-looking, button-up, check shirt.

"I don't know how I did it, Tuney, but I thought you would like it. You love flowers. You just have to speak to them and they grow for you."

Petunia smiled sheepishly. "I don't know how I do it either," she confessed.

_"Interesting. Petunia may not be able to perform spells but she must have some kind of earth magic. Oh well, I guess that's my cue,"_ Severus thought and stepped forward from behind the bush.

"Hello," he said shyly. The two girls turned to look at him.

"Hello," said Lily kindly. "I'm Lily and this is my sister, Petunia. Who are you?"

"Lily, be careful. We don't know who he is," said Petunia hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," replied Severus, and he turned to go. _"Intrude? You're meant to be nine years old, Severus, so for Merlin's sake, talk like a nine year old!"_ he thought to himself.

"Don't leave," said Lily. "That's why I introduced us, Tuney, so we can get to know him."

"No, it's all right," Severus answered. "It's just... I saw you doing magic and, well, I can too."

"Magic?" exclaimed Lily.

"Don't be silly, magic doesn't exist," said Petunia disdainfully.

"Yes, it does," said Severus. "My Mum can do magic as well. There's a whole magic world out there, full of witches and wizards all doing magic. My Mum went to the very best school of magic and I'll also be going there when I'm eleven."

"Well, why doesn't everyone know about it then?" snapped Petunia.

"The wizarding world is kept hidden from non-magicals," Severus explained. "It's dangerous for everyone to know about us. Not everyone likes magic. People used to kill witches in the old days, so it's a law that we're not allowed to tell people about it."

"So, why are you telling us then?" demanded Lily.

"Because you were doing magic. I bet you'll be invited to go to Hogwarts, too. And even if you can't do spell magic like Lily," he continued, turning to Petunia, "if you have an affinity for plants and flowers, then maybe you have earth magic. That's very important magic, Petunia, because it keeps the earth and the land balanced. Not everyone has that magic, my Mum says it's quite rare."

_"Affinity? Argh! I don't know how to talk like a nine year old! Well, they're just going to have to accept me the way I am, no matter how I talk. I know, I'll blame it on Mum – I'll say that she comes from an old-fashioned family and she taught me to talk the way they do. It's not altogether a lie,"_ Severus thought mutinously.

"And you expect us to believe this nonsense? Lily's a witch and I have a rare earth magic?" Petunia sneered. The words were scornful but underneath, Severus could hear the longing in her voice.

_"She's been taught that magic doesn't exist but she wants to believe it's real. I was so focused on Lily last time that I was oblivious to how much it meant to Petunia. I didn't even notice her affinity for plants. If she had earth magic and no one realised, not even Petunia herself, no wonder she became bitter. To have a special gift but have no one recognise or encourage it must be very painful. Once Lily and I go to Hogwarts, we'll have to try and get Pomona Sprout to pay a visit to Petunia,"_ decided Severus.

"I can't do many spells without a wand and I'm not really supposed to do magic anyway because I'm too young to do much yet but I could do one thing to show you some magic?" suggested Severus and he conjured a small posy of petunias and a single, perfect Calla lily, which he gave to each flower's namesake respectively.

"Tell us more, please," said Lily excitedly. "What's Hogwarts?"

The three children sat down on the grass and Severus began to tell them about magic and Hogwarts. All too soon, it was time for them all to go home and after exhorting the two girls not to tell anyone about magic, not even their parents, he transfigured his clothes back to the shabby, ill-fitting garments he had been wearing earlier and reluctantly left the playground.

For the rest of the summer holiday, the three children met up whenever possible and Severus told Lily and Petunia more and more about the wizarding world. To his surprise, Severus was finding that Petunia had an acerbic sense of humour that was similar to his own. She also had a sharp intellect, however, it was dwarfed by Lily's, causing Petunia to doubt herself and compounding the problem of her being overlooked by careless people who simply did not consider the damage they were doing to the elder girl's self-esteem. His adult mind allowed him to see what he had been too young and inexperienced to understand previously: namely that her disapproving and standoffish nature was merely a cover to disguise her lack of confidence, and her choosing to push people away was a defence mechanism born out of fear that she would be rejected in favour of her prettier, more intelligent and more popular, little sister. Severus could certainly relate to that, as he had employed exactly the same defence mechanism in his previous attempt at life, and for a very similar reason.

_"I never really gave her a chance last time and nor did anyone else. After years of being overlooked in favour of her little sister, compounded with marrying that dim-witted, narrow-minded, walrus of a man, it's hardly surprising she ended up such a censorious, unpleasant woman. We'll have to do what we can to avoid all that happening this time, especially if Harry is going to be placed with her again,"_ he concluded.

Severus had explained that his mother was a witch but when the two girls asked to meet Eileen Snape, Severus hung his head in shame. He really did not want to let them know about his home situation but he had discussed this with Susan Sto-Helit during their planning session before he was sent back to relive his life and he could hear her voice in his head, exhorting him to be honest with them.

_"Tell the Evans girls the truth, Severus. You have nothing to be ashamed of in your parents' behaviour – it's their shame, not yours – and the girls can help you. That's how you'll become their brother."_

"My Dad didn't know Mum was a witch until after they married. Not until I was born and I started doing accidental magic; she had no choice but to tell him then. He wasn't happy about it. And he was laid off recently when the mill closed, which has just made him angrier. He's angry all the time now and he drinks a lot, which doesn't help. I don't know if it's a good idea to take you home with me. He might not be home but if he is, I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"He hurts you and your Mum?" Lily whispered in horror.

"Mostly Mum but I tried to stop him hitting her the other day and he shoved me out the way. I got knocked against the wall. It's just some bruises, though. Mum told me not to interfere next time."

"Why does she stay with him?" asked Petunia.

"She doesn't have anywhere else to go. Her family is very prejudiced – they think non-magical people are inferior – and they disowned her when she married my Dad. She told me that doesn't she doesn't officially exist in the non-magical world, so she can't just leave, because she can't get a job or sign a lease for a house or anything. She can't protect herself with magic because it's forbidden to use magic against non-magicals and so she just tries not to upset him. She doesn't know how to fight back without magic and, well, I don't really think she has the will to try any more. She's numb all the time. It's like she's given up."

"If he ever hurts you, you can come to us. We'll help you," asserted Petunia with a determined look on her face. Beside her, Lily was nodding emphatically in agreement, looking equally fierce.

"Thank you," he said quietly. At first, Severus was surprised that Petunia had been the one to make the declaration of support but then he reminded himself yet again, that previously he and Lily had excluded Petunia and so she had never had the opportunity to reach out to him. _"I would have brushed her off if she had tried,"_ he thought to himself, ashamed that he had automatically dismissed her because she was not magical. _"I know that was largely because of my feelings towards Dad but one rotten apple doesn't mean that all muggles should be dismissed as unworthy. That's how Voldemort and his Death Eaters think and I know better than that. I always did know; I just chose to ignore it."_

Despite his concerns about his father, Severus did manage to introduce the girls to Eileen one day. Seeing the positive effect Petunia's very presence had on the sparse vegetables and herbs that Eileen was trying to grow in the scrubby backyard, Eileen confirmed that the young girl did indeed have earth magic, despite not having spell magic.

As the summer passed, Tobias Snape became ever more angry at his lot in life until one evening towards the end of the school holidays, fuelled by alcohol, he snapped. On his way back from the pub he had seen Severus in the park with Lily and Petunia and he had seen the clothes that Severus had transfigured for himself. When Tobias staggered home, he immediately attacked Eileen. Severus walked into the house to find his mother cowering in a corner with an obviously broken arm and a black eye. The bruise was rapidly spreading all down one side of her face and Tobias loomed over her, about to strike again as he accused her of "wasting money on new clothes for the boy!"

"No, Dad!" he cried. "Mum didn't buy me new clothes. I magicked mine so they'd look the same as the other kids wear."

With a roar, Tobias aimed a vicious kick at Eileen. As Severus dimly registered the snap of his mother's ribs breaking, Tobias turned and pounced on Severus, punching and kicking the young boy while Eileen feebly tried to pull the angry man off his son. Severus tried to stun his father but his magical core was not yet developed enough for such strong wandless magic. Eventually Tobias passed out from the combination of alcohol and sheer rage coursing through his system.

After a few moments, Severus stirred and crawled over to his mother to check on her. "Go, Severus," she whispered painfully through a split lip. "Your friends – they'll help you."

"But what about you, Mum?" he cried in despair. "I can't leave you here with him."

Eileen shook her head. "I'll be all right. Go," she said, urging him up onto his feet. Severus staggered shakily out the door and headed towards the Evans home, carefully keeping to the shadows so that he would not be seen and stopped by concerned adults along the way.

Arriving at the Evans' house, he pounded on the door. Footsteps came running and as the door opened, he collapsed, gasping, "Help!"

"Severus!" a voice screamed and he knew no more.

oOo - oOo - oOo

Severus felt a hand brush his forehead.

"Sev," he heard.

_"Lily,"_ he thought. He forced his eyes open and saw he was in an unfamiliar bedroom. He looked to the side and saw Lily and Petunia were sitting next to his bed.

"Whe'm'i? Wha' ha'n'd?" he managed to croak out.

Understanding his incoherent 'Where am I?' and 'What happened?' Petunia kindly explained. "You came to our house and collapsed. Daddy brought you in. You've been beaten up, so he's gone to check on your Mum."

"Thanks," he wheezed.

"You should rest," said Lily, worry crossing her face when she realised how hard it was for him to talk. "We'll let you know when Daddy gets back."

Severus gratefully closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep. When he woke again, not only were Petunia and Lily in the room with him but their parents and his mother were all there too. His mother was looking badly beaten and was clearly in pain.

"He should see a doctor. So should you," said Alexander Evans to Eileen. He was a tall, solid looking man with Petunia's blond hair and Lily's green eyes, who generated a sense of reliability, trustworthiness and security

"It's all right, I can heal him."

"I didn't know you were a doctor, Mrs Snape? Or a nurse, perhaps?" he inquired sceptically.

Eileen smiled weakly at him. "Mr Evans, there's a whole world out there, running parallel to yours, that you know nothing about. A hidden world of magic, to be precise. I'm a witch, my son is a wizard and I do believe that both your daughters have magic, too."

With that she withdrew her wand from her sleeve, which she had desperately summoned from its hiding place once Severus had left the house on Spinners End. "It's been a long time since I last used this," she murmured. "Tobias didn't like it."

Muttering a spell, she transfigured a fluffy towel lying on the dresser into a rabbit, before levitating it over to the girls. Petunia gently cradled it in her arms as Lily stroked it. "Her fur's so soft and silky," Petunia whispered in awe, smiling as the rabbit twitched its nose at her and looked around the room. She tightened her arms as she felt the rabbit preparing to jump down onto the floor and Eileen transfigured it back into the fluffy towel, levitating it back to its place on the dresser.

"Aww," said Petunia in disappointment.

"It wasn't a real rabbit, dear," Eileen explained. "It would have transformed back sooner or later anyway."

"Will I be able to do that one day too?" asked Lily in excitement.

Eileen looked over to Alex, who was sitting mouth agape at what he had just seen. She conjured a glass and with a quick "Aguamenti," filled it with cool water. She gave it to Alex, who gratefully grasped it and drank.

"Have you ever noticed Lily doing something strange, that you couldn't explain? Or the way plants and flowers respond to Petunia? Lily has the same sort of spell magic that Severus and I have and Petunia has a special, earth magic." She smiled at the blonde girl, who beamed back in pleasure at being acknowledged this way.

"My family have always worked with the land. That's why it's a tradition for girls to be given flower names," Iris Evans said, latching on to the one thing that made sense to her in this increasingly bizarre conversation. She was short, plump and very pretty, with Lily's red hair and Petunia's blue eyes. Despite the physical similarity to Molly Weasley, Iris Evans reminded Severus more of Pomona Sprout, with her calm air of caring. _"Perhaps it comes from the earth magic within them, perhaps it grounds them somehow,"_ Severus mused.

Eileen nodded. "That may well be where Petunia gets it from. I imagine that your family has a history of earth magic. It's even possible that if you look back through enough generations, your ancestors may have had spell magic once as well."

Turning to Severus, she cast a diagnostic spell on her son. "He has bumps and bruises but that's all, fortunately," she said, whispering the necessary healing spells to tend to her son. "Stay in that bed and don't move for another hour," she instructed him sternly, as he huffed in frustration at the restriction. Eileen sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed beside Severus, taking him into her arms.

Severus saw her wincing from the pain in her broken ribs. "Mum? What about your injuries? Shouldn't you heal them too?"

"Oh Sev," she said, ruffling his hair. "My injuries aren't important."

"Yes, they are," he said staunchly. "Please heal yourself, Mum. For me, please."

He looked at her pleadingly with his intense black eyes and she laughed. Holding her side and hissing in pain from the laughter, she nodded. "It's a good thing I had some basic training as a Healer as part of my Potions Apprenticeship," she said wryly. Waving her wand, she healed herself, with Severus carefully following the wand movements, checking in his mind that she had done it correctly. The healing spells complete, he shuffled over in the bed to let her sit beside him. Eileen slipped off her shoes, swung her legs up on the bed and settled herself comfortably, with her back against the headboard and her arm around her son. Carding her fingers through his hair, she continued her explanation to the interested Evans family.

"Mr and Mrs Evans, I come from what is known as an old, pureblood family. That means our magical gift goes back as far as the family can be traced. Many such families look down of those of mixed blood, like my son, or new blood, like your daughter, Lily. I did the unforgiveable in my family's eyes and I married one who was not magical. For that I was cast out and disowned.

"Tobias was a good man at first but I didn't tell him about magic until I had no choice in the matter because I was scared he would reject me. The only reason I'm telling you now is both your daughters are magical in their own way. In fact, Petunia is eleven, I believe? That is the age first generation magicals are told about the wizarding world, because that is the age they are invited to attend a school of magic. Unfortunately, I don't think Petunia will receive such an invitation because she doesn't have spell magic but I have no doubt that Lily will.

"It's hard for magicals to marry non-magicals. We can't tell you about magic unless we're married to you and then we're reluctant to say anything because we're afraid the confession won't be well received. Keeping such a monumental secret can easily be taken as our having been dishonest and deceitful, even though it wasn't intended that way.

"So I chose not to say anything to Tobias when we married. I had been disowned by family and I was terrified he would also ask me to leave – I was frightened of being alone, without any family at all. It was only when Severus started doing accidental magic," she smiled at her son, "that I realised I had to tell him. Young magicals don't have the control to prevent their magic bursting out, mainly due to emotion.

"Tobias didn't mind my being magical at first, as I have control over my magic, but Severus' magic was already very strong at a young age and that frightened Tobias, as Severus was too young to be controlled. Being fearful made Tobias angry and over time, the fear and the anger grew. Then, when the mill closed and he was laid off, he started drinking and, well, alcohol, fear and anger don't mix well.

"It didn't help that Severus is much more like me than like Tobias. Severus is also extremely intelligent and, while Tobias is not _un_intelligent, he doesn't come close to Severus' intellect. Nor do I, for that matter, but I'm better educated than Tobias and therefore better able to cope with a highly intelligent child. Tobias doesn't understand Severus and they simply can't relate to each other. Even though Severus is his son, Severus is completely foreign to Tobias. That only made things worse, I think. Tobias isn't really a bad man, he's just been overwhelmed by life and by circumstances. He was very excited to become a father when I was pregnant with Severus and he would probably have been a good father to a non-magical son, who was just like him.

"It's not your fault, Son," she said reassuringly, seeing Severus' downcast expression. "It's just how things are."

Silently acknowledging the truth of what Eileen was saying, he nodded to his mother.

"Mrs Snape?" Lily asked hesitantly. "I don't mean to be rude, but if you can do magic, why couldn't you just leave?"

"I had nowhere else to go, Lily. I don't officially exist in the non-magical world. Most magicals don't, unless they're first generation or have one non-magical parent. When it came to registering Severus' birth, I was lucky that they don't double-check the parents' identities. If I had gone to the police for help, though, that would have caused problems."

"Lily, sweetie," said her mother. " It used to be that women were more or less legal slaves to their fathers or husbands, with little or no rights of their own. Of course things have improved tremendously but there are still some remnants of these old laws and attitudes and the fact that domestic violence isn't illegal, is one of those remnants. Hopefully, one day that will change but right now, in 1969, Eileen will have had no recourse, even if she did have an identity in our world." ²

In the silence that followed Iris Evans' declaration of women's status as chattel, Severus turned to Eileen with a question in his eyes. "What happened to Dad then, Mum? Will we have to go back to him?"

Alex Evans cleared his throat. "When I went to check on your Mum, Severus, your Dad was passed out drunk and I doubt he'll be coming round much before morning. You and your Mum will stay here tonight and we'll talk about your options tomorrow. I'll do my best to help you and your Mum start over, if that's what you both want."

Severus' face lit up. "Please, Mum?"

Eileen sighed. Although she did not like the man Tobias Snape had become, she had loved him once. "We'll talk in the morning, Sev."

"We could go to the wizarding world. He wouldn't be able to find us there. He might kill one or both of us next time, Mum," he pleaded with her desperately.

Severus had said this deliberately. In his previous lifetime, Eileen Snape had never left her husband and one day Tobias Snape had killed his wife in a drunken rage. Severus wanted to stir his mother out of the apathy she had been in for as long as he could remember, and give her the impetus she needed both to move away from Tobias before he could kill her and also to start living again.

Sure enough, this had given Eileen an idea but she wanted to think it through properly before mentioning anything to Severus. She needed to know if it was feasible before getting the boy's hopes up.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, love. Let me think about what we can do, all right?" She kissed her disappointed son on the top of his head and climbed off the bed. "Go to sleep now, Sev. It's getting late."

"Do you mind sharing a room with your son tonight, Mrs Snape?" asked Iris. "I'm afraid we only have the one spare room. At least we have two beds in here, though."

"That will be more than fine, Mrs Evans," Eileen replied gratefully. "I thank you and your husband both for your assistance and hospitality this evening."

The next morning, as the Evans, Eileen and Severus sat at the breakfast table, Iris asked kindly if she had any plans. "If there's anything we can do to help, just let us know, dear."

Eileen had not slept the previous night, being too plagued by her thoughts. After a long night spent tossing and turning restlessly, she had made a number of decisions.

"Before I married, I was apprenticing as a Potions Mistress. That's the magical equivalent of a chemist or pharmacist. I'd like to visit my Master and ask if he would be willing to resume training me. If he agrees, then I'll need to sort out living arrangements for Sev and myself before I talk to Toby. Would you mind if Sev stays with you today, while I go and try to organise everything? And perhaps, Mr Evans, you might accompany me to talk to Toby? I'd rather not go alone."

"We'd be happy to do that," said Iris agreeably. Although she and Alex had not met any of the Snapes until the previous evening, they had heard from the girls about their new friend, Sev, and his poor home life. As a teacher at the local secondary school, Alex was well aware that the Snape's situation unfortunately was not unique and he tried to do what little he could he to help whenever he was faced with children living in such a bad situation.

"How will you get there?" Alex asked. "Can we lend you some money? Or does your mentor live nearby?"

Eileen smiled and shook her head. "That's very generous of you, however, I'll travel by magic. He actually lives in Scotland but I can get there instantly."

Alex and Iris raised their eyebrows at this, but Lily was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. "Does he live in Hogsmeade?" she squealed. "Sev told me about that. It's the magical village near Hogwarts school, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Eileen replied, grinning at the excited little girl. "You'll be able to visit it from Third Year onwards."

After breakfast, Eileen apparated from the Evans' living room to Hogsmeade. Normally it was considered impolite to apparate into or out of someone's home but she knew that her hosts wanted to see her method of travel. Arriving in Hogsmeade, she quickly transfigured her plain muggle dress into simple wizarding robes and the walked over to the Apothecary shop.

"Well, bless me," said a man's voice as she entered. "It's Eileen Prince, isn't it?"

Antimony Brewyer had not been young when she was apprenticing with him and now, a decade later, she could see that he was beginning to slow down. "Yes, Master Brewyer, it is, although it's Snape now. It's good to see you again, Sir," she said.

"You too, you too, my dear. What can I do for you today? Does this mean you might be returning to the wizarding world?"

"I'd like to. I wanted to ask you, Master Brewyer... I know my parents paid for my entire apprenticeship up front – did they reclaim part of the payment when they disowned me?"

Potions Master Brewyer looked uncomfortable and correctly interpreting the reason for his discomfort, Eileen rushed to explain. "I'm not asking for the money, Sir. I was wondering if it may be possible to complete my apprenticeship, if it's still paid for. I know it's been a long time..."

"Twelve years," the kindly old man said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"But I had nearly completed my Mastery. My marriage was not a success," she said abashedly, "and I now need to support myself and my nine year old son but I have no means to do so. I was hoping you would be willing to complete my apprenticeship and perhaps I could get a room at the Three Broomsticks or the Hogs Head in return for tending bar at night."

"You would bring up your son in a room above a pub?" he asked.

"It's either that or living on the streets, Master Brewyer," she replied bluntly.

The kindly old man had always been fond of Eileen Prince and he could see that she was in a bad way. Wanting to help her without humiliating her, he pondered what assistance he could offer.

"I'll tell you what, Madam Snape. I have always lived above my shop. My wife passed away five years ago and my daughter is married and uninterested in the business. Your apprenticeship was only supposed to cover brewing but if you're willing to take my wife's place helping in the shop, you and your son could live in my daughter's room. It might take you a bit longer to complete your Mastery that way but, to be honest, I would want to begin with a review anyway, to see how much you remember. Don't worry about whether or not the apprenticeship fees will cover the additional time. If you agree to those terms – and perhaps to doing the cooking, as I was never much of a cook – then we'll call it even."

"Thank you, Master Brewyer. I would like that very much," the grateful witch agreed.

"When would you like to begin, Madam Snape?"

"I need to wind up my affairs in the muggle world and I'm not sure exactly how long that will take. Could I perhaps let you know in a day or two?"

"Of course, my dear. Now, do you have an owl, so that you can contact me easily?"

"No, Sir. I don't."

"Well, how about I send my delivery owl to you in three days' time and he can bring back a message? He's an Eagle Owl, called Valerian."

"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your kindness."

"I'm looking forward to your return, Madam Snape. I always thought you had it in you to be a great Potions Mistress. I hope you've been teaching your son the beauty of potions?"

"Yes, Sir, I have; and I think he has it in him to be much better than me, Master Brewyer."

"I look forward to meeting him then."

Eileen chatted politely with Master Brewyer, until a customer came into the apothecary shop, at which time she bade him a polite farewell and apparated back to Cokeworth. Sitting down with a cup of tea, she explained to Alex and Iris the agreement she had made with Master Brewyer.

"So young Sev will be sharing a room with you, then?" Iris asked dubiously. "Surely a growing lad needs his own space."

"Of course he does but the other alternative to sharing a room with me would be to live on the streets," Eileen said, slightly exasperated. She knew Iris meant well but Eileen was trying to do her best for her son.

Alex placed a hand on his wife's arm to calm her down. "Is there a good school for Sev in that magical village? I'm sure he'll enjoy being with other youngsters like himself," he suggested.

"No, there isn't a primary school. Magical children are home schooled until they begin Hogwarts. Their magic is too unstable for formal schooling before then."

Alex and Iris shared a look. "Eileen," he said. "I hope you won't take this the wrong way but it doesn't seem like you can offer Sev what he needs at the moment. I hope you'll be back on your feet and have a home or a flat with a second bedroom soon, but right now, you're going to be busy working all day while Sev spends the time on his own, and he's not even going to have a room of his own either. Is that really what's best for him?"

"No," she whispered. "But hopefully it won't be for long."

"Hopefully?" Iris inquired.

"I only have about six months left on my Mastery if I do it full-time but it's going to take longer because I'm going to need to help out in the shop as well to pay for my board and lodgings, so I won't be able to brew full-time."

"So it will take you, what... a year?"

"Perhaps. I'm not sure. It's been several years since I left my apprenticeship, so Master Brewyer wants to start with revision. I don't know how long it'll take until he's ready to let me proceed with new material."

Alex raised an eyebrow at Iris. She nodded decisively and he turned back to Eileen.

"Eileen, what would you say to Sev staying with us until you're better able to take him in? You'd be welcome to visit him whenever you want – with magic that won't be a problem for you, I'm sure – and you can arrange for him to visit you at weekends, perhaps. Sev could go to school with Lily – Petunia starts secondary this year, so the girls won't be in the same school anymore."

Eileen looked pensive. In her heart, she knew this would be best for her son but she was still feeling guilty over having failed him for so long. She loved Severus and wanted to give him a happier childhood than he had experienced to date but she did not want him to think that she was abandoning him.

She sighed and looked at Alex and Iris with sad eyes. "I'll have to talk it over with Sev. I know he's only nine but I think he needs to be part of this decision. After everything that has happened, it would be terrible if he thought I didn't want him."

The other couple agreed with this and she went off to talk to Sev privately in the room they had stayed in the night before. After she explained the situation to him, Severus went quiet. He remembered Susan telling him when he was in Death's Domain that he would become Petunia and Lily's brother and he assumed this was how it was going to happen. However, despite having the memories of his thirty-eight year old self, he was in the body of a nine year old and had emotions and feelings commensurate with that body. This was his opportunity to have a mother who was not beaten down by life and, dammit, he wanted to live with his Mum!

He looked at Eileen with tears brimming in his eyes. "I want to come with you, Mum, but it wouldn't be good for either of us, would it?" he said in a small, sad voice. "Will you come and visit me?"

"Oh, my boy!" Eileen threw her arms round the young boy sitting beside her and cradled him close. "I love you very, very much, Severus Snape, and I promise I'll visit as often as I can. Hopefully, it won't be long until you can come and live with me."

They sat on the bed cuddling in silence until they heard a diffident knock on the door.

"Mrs Snape? Sev?" Petunia's head peered around the door. "Mum asked me to come and get you for lunch."

Eileen glanced at the clock with surprise. So much had already happened that day, that she could not believe it was still only mid-day. She took Severus' hand and they went to join their hosts for lunch.

"Mr Evans, Mrs Evans, I thank you for your very generous offer to take in Severus until I'm able to do so," Eileen said once they were sitting round the table. "Severus and I have discussed it and we would like to accept. We think it would be best for him right now."

"Sev's going to live with us? That's great!" Lily and Petunia both beamed with delight. Their enthusiasm soon had Severus perking up.

After lunch, Alexander Evans decided it was time to face Tobias Snape. He went round to Spinners End to invite Tobias to attend a meeting at the Evans house. Tobias Snape had once been a fit man but many months of drinking and no exercise had not done him any favours. When Alex explained the reason for his presence, Tobias tried to attack him, however, Alex had been a boxer in his youth and had excelled at hand-to-hand combat during his National Service³. Being someone who enjoyed a physical occupation, Alex had considered enlisting as regular army after his National Service had ended but he wanted to marry Iris and raise a family. He did not want to miss a moment of his children's lives, as would be inevitable while he was away on deployment, and he especially did not want to risk Iris having to raise their family alone should he be killed in action, as had happened to so many women during the not so long past Second World War. So on the advice of some of his army colleagues, he had trained as a Physical Education teacher and he had never regretted his career choice. As a PE teacher, he had made a point of maintaining and improving his self-defence skills, running after-school boxing and self-defence clubs for his pupils. The hungover man did not stand a chance against Alex, and Tobias soon found himself behind held up against a wall in an arm lock.

"You will come with me and you will behave," Alex said dangerously in Tobias' ear. "I have friends in the Special Forces. They won't mind helping me take out a piece of scum like you and none of us will lose a wink of sleep over it. Your body will never be found."

He let go and Tobias, who believed every word Alex had said, sheepishly followed him out the door. Arriving at the Evans' house, Alex made sure to seat Tobias in a deep armchair that he would not be able to jump out of easily. Alex himself sat next to Tobias on a simple dining chair that would allow him to move quickly, should he need to restrain Tobias.

Severus and Eileen nervously sat opposite the two men. Eileen had her wand hidden in its arm-holster; it could be in her hand with the flick of her wrist and she would have no compunction about stunning or restraining her husband magically. She had finally acknowledged that things needed to change and that the first thing to go would be her acceptance of Tobias' behaviour. With the hand of friendship that had been extended to her by Iris and Alex, she no longer felt completely alone in the world and this was giving her the courage she needed to face up to Tobias and to her own mistakes.

_"I hate this,"_ thought Severus crossly. _"My older self would have been able to deal with Tobias Snape with no problems. I hate being vulnerable again."_

After an awkward moment, Eileen began to speak. "Toby, none of us are happy. Not you, not me and certainly not Severus. I'm not assigning blame because we're both equally guilty. You've become domineering and violent but instead of standing up to you, I allowed it to happen. Because I accepted it, you could have killed Severus and myself last night and I wouldn't have done anything to stop you. I've let Severus down tremendously by accepting our destructive home life and that's unforgiveable of me. I loved you once but not anymore and I don't think you love me either. I'd like to go back to the magical world and I'd appreciate it you would agree to end our marriage amicably. I don't want anything from you except for custody of Severus. You don't even have to give me child support."

Tobias Snape was confused. His impulse was to roar with anger and attack at the thought of his wife leaving him and taking their son with her, seeing this as an affront to his manhood. However, as he began to struggle to get out of his seat, Alex put a hand on his shoulder and firmly held him in place. Tobias stopped to think. While he was uneducated he was not stupid and deep down he knew that Eileen was telling the truth. He just did not want to admit it.

"Mr Snape," said Alex. "I understand that you were laid off when the mill closed and I know there is very little work available round here now. My wife's brother is a builder down south. He employs a lot of unskilled labour and is willing to offer apprenticeships to his labourers. Would you be interested? If you trained as a sparky⁴ or a plumber you could even own your own business one day."

The thought of becoming his own boss was a boost to Tobias' self-esteem; this would be an achievement to be proud of. He recognised this as a genuine offer and something worth considering. He cleared his throat hesitantly.

"Yes?" Alex asked kindly.

"When I was doing my National Service, I used to help out the mechanics with the trucks and jeeps. I sometimes helped with the mill trucks, too."

"My brother-in-law can arrange for you to apprentice as an auto-mechanic," Alex replied immediately.

"I'd like that. I'd like it a lot," Tobias said gratefully. "Thank you."

"There are three conditions," said Alex sternly. "The first condition is that you remain sober. If you turn up at work hungover just once, you won't get a second chance. The second condition is that both of you appoint Iris and myself as Sev's legal guardians until such time as Mrs Snape is able to take care of him herself; we'll need to be able to make decisions on his behalf and as neither of you will be living nearby, we won't necessarily always have time to contact you first for your agreement. We'll do our best to consult with you both as far as possible but we'll need the authority to able to make immediate decisions, should it ever be necessary. The third condition, Mr Snape, is that any visits you pay to your son are supervised until my wife and I are satisfied that you won't lay a finger on him again. These conditions are non-negotiable."

"Please Toby," Eileen begged.

He nodded his head in agreement. "Are there papers I need to sign?" he asked in a tone of defeat.

"I'll have a solicitor prepare them and let you know when to come round and sign them," Alex confirmed.

Tobias left and the remaining three adults sat desultorily chatting, while the children played outside in the back garden.

"I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for my son," said Eileen ardently. "I just accepted everything Tobias did because I didn't have anyone to turn to. Your being so kind and giving me your support has made all the difference."

"You're very welcome, Mrs Snape," smiled Iris.

"Won't you please call me Eileen? If you're going to be fostering Severus, I'd like to be on friendly terms with you."

"We'd love to," Iris agreed warmly. "And you must call us Iris and Alex."

"Erm..." Eileen said, hesitantly. "I don't want to intrude but I'd like to explain something to you. When Lily goes to Hogwarts she will need a magical guardian. The Headmaster is automatically made the magical guardian for all muggleborn or first generation students. Muggles are how magicals refer to non-magicals and muggleborn is how they refer to new blood or first generation, however, after spending so many years in the non-magical world, I find that quite derogatory.

"The current Headmaster was one of my Professors when I was at Hogwarts but I barely had anything to do with him outside class, so I can't tell you how responsible he may or may not be in his role as magical guardian. What I can tell you is that Headmaster Dumbledore is also the Chief Warlock, which means he's the Head of the Wizengamot, our judicial and ruling body. In addition to that, he's the Supreme Mugwump, or the Head of the International Confederation of Wizards. So, as I'm sure you can understand, he's very busy and due to the many demands on his time, I would imagine it could be quite easy for a student to slip through the cracks and the parents not to be kept fully informed if their child is ill or has a sports accident or any other problem.

"You still have two years to consider this, but I'd like to volunteer to be Lily's magical guardian when the time comes. Unfortunately, non-magicals can't visit the castle – they can't even see it – but I'll be living and working in the local village and I could easily visit the school on your behalf if need be. You should decide before Lily first leaves for Hogwarts but there's plenty of time until then. With all that you're doing for Sev, I'd gladly represent you as Lily's magical guardian, but if you'd rather not trust me after everything that's happened with Tobias, I can perhaps introduce you to others who could act as Lily's magical guardian."

Iris and Alex shared a look. "Thank you for explaining that to us, Eileen," Alex said genially. "If Sev is going to be our foster-son, then I can't imagine we'd want to trust a stranger over his Mum but we'd like to take the time to get to know you better before we make it official, seeing as we don't need to worry about it for another two years."

"Thank you," she said. "Children from a magical heritage receive their Hogwarts letter on their eleventh birthday but first generations receive a visit from the Deputy Head to explain about magic. Each Deputy Head has their own system for the home visits and I'm not sure what the current Deputy Head does – if she visits each child on their birthday or if she waits and does batches of visits during the school holidays. The chances are Lily's visit will either be on her eleventh birthday or during the Easter Holidays immediately after – she was born in January, like Sev, wasn't she? I'd recommend making a decision by the time of the visit, so that you can inform the Deputy Head officially then and have it entered into record."

"We appreciate your offer and your candour," said Iris. "Now, I understand from the children that you have magical plants in your world and you use them in potions? I'm a keen gardener and I'd love to hear more about these."

The day passed pleasantly and the following morning, Alex went to see a solicitor friend, to engage him to write up a guardianship agreement for Severus. His friend had it ready for him that same day and the following day, Eileen and Tobias signed it.

Alex accompanied Eileen to the house on Spinners End so that she could pack up what few belongings she and Severus had and then Iris dragged Eileen and Severus out on a shopping trip. She wanted to buy the young boy more suitable clothing than the strange rags he normally wore and to get him a more muggle haircut, so that he would fit in better when he started school in two weeks' time. When Master Brewyer's owl, Valerian, appeared, Eileen sent a letter back to the kindly gentleman that she would come on Sunday evening, so that she could get settled in, ready to begin work bright and early on Monday morning. Apart from the fact that she would be leaving Severus behind, she was keen to get started. She believed that Alex and Iris would treat Severus well and had faith in her decision to leave him with them.

Tobias was also leaving for his new job that weekend and the Spinners End house was put up for sale. Eileen and Tobias had come to an amicable agreement, whereby the proceeds of the house would be split evenly between them but Tobias could take all the furniture for his new home. Eileen intended to put her share of the proceeds in a trust vault for Severus, to fund his schooling at Hogwarts and any further education he may want after that. As the divorce agreement was not being contested, Alex's solicitor friend had already filed the documents and assured Eileen that the divorce would be final quickly. With everything now sorted, Eileen bade her son a tearful farewell on Sunday evening and disapparated to Hogsmeade.

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Severus was nervous about his new life with the Evans family, as it was strange and unfamiliar to him. It was certainly the first time he had ever experienced a loving family. He soon settled in, however, and quickly became Petunia and Lily's brother in everyone's mind and heart – most importantly in his own, just as Susan Sto-Helit had promised. He enjoyed the experience of a muggle school, as it allowed him to learn things he had never had the opportunity to do so before. Obviously, he needed to be tutored in what he had missed due to being home-schooled by Eileen, but with his sharp intelligence, he caught up very quickly. Maths and Chemistry soon became his favourite subjects, as he could see how much they would help him with Potions and Arithmancy.

Eileen visited every weekend and became as much a part of the Evans family as her son was. She took him to Hogsmeade a few times so that he could see where she worked and meet Master Brewyer, but it was only ever for a day's visit, returning home in the evening, as her room was small and there was not really space for him to stay over. Master Brewyer was thrilled with Severus' understanding of potions and when he tested Severus' brewing skills, the boy had to keep reminding himself not to show his advanced knowledge and skills. Fortunately, his years of teaching stood him in good stead in this, as he knew the school curriculum inside and out, and therefore knew not only which potions were in the first and second year syllabi but also what could be expected of the top students of that age; he was very careful to restrict his knowledge and skills to match that expectation.

Severus soon learned about the after-school self-defence classes Alex ran for his students and he begged to be able to participate in these. Alex was hesitant to include the nine year old boy but Severus soon persuaded him. "I don't want to go round attacking people," he explained. "I promise I won't start any fights but I want to be able to defend myself and my Mum if anyone tries to hurt us again."

Knowing Severus' history with his father, Alex understood why this was important to the boy and agreed to begin teaching him. Alex was receiving positive reports of Tobias, who was working with a mate of Iris' brother. The man seemed to be staying sober and working hard. Apparently, he could make cars purr and the mechanic who was training him was surprised that no one in the army or at the mill had recognised his natural talent with engines and offered him training as an auto mechanic. Tobias had not yet come to visit Severus but he was supposedly saving up to buy a motor bike, at which point he would have the means to come more easily. Alex and Iris had discussed this and although they deplored the man's lack of interest in his son, they did not regret the fact that Tobias had chosen to absent himself from Severus' life. It may be a harsh judgement but they felt that Severus was better off without his father at this time. Perhaps when Severus was older, the two might be able to build a new relationship but, right now, the wounds were too recent and too deep for Severus to be comfortable in his father's presence.

The school year passed quickly. After a year of plentiful, hearty food and healthy exercise in the garden and with Alex, Severus no longer looked overly skinny and sallow. On Iris and Alex's advice, his teeth had been magically attended to by Eileen and were now white and straight, which condition was maintained with regular, muggle-style brushing. Thanks to his healthy diet, his hair was no longer lank and lifeless. In fact, his hair was clean and shiny at all times, as Master Brewyer had helped Severus develop a shampoo that prevented his hair from becoming greasy, even when he spent all day brewing. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about his beak of a nose, short of plastic surgery, and that was not something he felt a need to undergo even if the adults in his life would have consented to such surgery for a young boy.

When summer came around, the three children happily spent time in the garden under Iris' tutelage. For the first time ever, Severus experienced a seaside holiday, as they all went to Blackpool for a week. Severus managed to forget his inner adult self and to behave like the now ten year old he was supposed to be. He enjoyed the various tourist attractions immensely, firmly closing his mind to the little voice deep inside him that was sneering about 'nonsensical childish pursuits' and he, Lily and Petunia held a sandcastle building competition on the beach, which he was thrilled to win, having built an elaborate castle that was reminiscent of Hogwarts. Alex even began teaching him how to swim and promised to continue the lessons once they returned home again.

The following year passed just as smoothly. The children all enjoyed school and spent much of their free time in the garden. As promised, Alex continued teaching Severus to swim and the two males of the family had even persuaded Petunia and Lily to join in their self-defence classes. As Alex said to his daughters, "I hope you never need to use these techniques but it doesn't hurt to have them."

Severus, knowing what was coming in the future, took these lessons very seriously, while the girls just participated to keep the family happy. Petunia preferred working in the garden and Lily preferred swimming. However, when Lily learned that Hogwarts did not have a swimming pool but only a cold lake with a giant squid residing in it, she started joining Severus and Alex on their daily jogs. She and Severus planned to continue jogging at Hogwarts for as long as the harsh Scottish winter permitted outdoor exercise. Eileen encouraged this, explaining that physical fitness would also improve their magical stamina.

Alex and Iris had gladly agreed long ago to appoint Eileen as Lily's magical guardian and they completed the paperwork for this before her eleventh birthday, on the thirtieth of January 1971. On the first day of the Easter Holidays, Minerva McGonagall appeared on their doorstep. She was quite surprised to learn that Lily already knew about the wizarding world but understood once it was explained to her just who Lily's foster brother was. Although they had been in different Houses, Minerva and Eileen had been in the same school year⁵ and Minerva had known Eileen quite well. To Professor McGonagall's surprise, Alex and Iris informed her during the meeting that just as they were Severus' guardians in the muggle world, Eileen was Lily's guardian in the magical world, and they presented her with a copy of the official paperwork, prepared by a wizarding solicitor, for her files. Thinking it over, it made sense to her that Alex and Iris would want to appoint someone they knew and trusted to represent their daughter in this strange, new world. Severus, however, had been quietly surprised to hear that Eileen had volunteered to be Lily's magical guardian.

_"Did she offer in order to repay Uncle Alex and Aunt Iris in kind for fostering me, or did she offer because she doesn't trust Dumbledore?"_ Severus secretly wondered.

The next day, Alex and Iris called a family meeting. "I've been offered a new job by Durham School. It's an old and respected school, even though it's not top tier. Petunia, I think you'll like this school very much. You can choose if you want to be a day pupil, a weekly boarder or a full-time boarder. We're going to visit next weekend, so that you can see the school before you go there. You don't need to make up your mind immediately if you want to be a day pupil or a boarder and you can always change your mind at any time."

"Lily, Sev, you'll be at Hogwarts next year but know that there will always be place for _both_ of you in our home," Iris said emphatically as she looked at the boy who had become as much her own child as the two girls.

_"Well, this is new,"_ thought Severus in surprise. Alex, however, was explaining.

"I've been offered other jobs before but we didn't want to cause too much upheaval in the family by moving in the middle of your schooling. However, knowing that Lily and Sev would be going off to Hogwarts has made us more open to the idea of relocating. I was actually offered the job for this year but managed to put them off one year, as we thought it would be better for Lily and Sev to finish primary school before we move to a new town. Petunia, this will give you the same chance to experience boarding school life as Lily and Sev, if you want."

_"That explains it,"_ Severus realised. _"Last time they didn't know about Hogwarts two years in advance. They probably just kept refusing all offers so as not to uproot the family but this time they knew that changes would be coming anyway, so they took that into account and went ahead and accepted when Alex received a job offer he liked."_

They all came back from the visit to Durham very happy. Petunia was indeed delighted with the school and they all loved the house that Alex and Iris were buying. The garden of the new house was much bigger than their current one and Petunia was already excitedly planning with Iris the planting and improvement of the new garden. As the school did not offer a gardening programme, Petunia had decided only to weekly board, so that she could still work in the garden on the weekends.

The new house, which was on the outskirts of Durham, was much more spacious than their current house. All three children would finally have a room of their own, but Lily and Petunia would need to double up whenever Eileen came to visit. Although Eileen had now completed her Mastery of Potions, everyone was happy with the current arrangements and Severus remained with the Evans family, while Eileen came to visit every weekend and over the Yule Holiday. Eileen was still living above Brewyer's Apothecary and working with the Potions Master, as this suited them both and it allowed Eileen to build up some savings, now that she was earning a wage. Tobias still had not visited Severus and they all doubted he ever would. Severus was pleased to hear that Tobias had reportedly turned over a new leaf but he did not mourn the lack of contact with his father. Alex had more than filled Tobias' place.

Now that Lily had received her visit from Minerva, Eileen brought Pomona Sprout to meet the family and not only did Pomona confirm that both Iris and Petunia had earth magic, but she also began teaching them magical Herbology. Of course, they could not grow magical plants in their muggle garden but they were fascinated by the magical properties and uses for the plants, flowers and herbs that were common to both worlds. Pomona was also teaching them how to tap into their affinity for the earth, to purify and balance it and to encourage healthy growth.

When the summer came, they happily made the move to Durham, after which Eileen escorted everyone to Diagon Alley to buy Lily's and Severus' school things. The whole family came along and they were fascinated by all that they saw. Even Petunia was thrilled with Diagon Alley. She had not written to Albus Dumbledore begging to attend Hogwarts as she had done in Severus' previous lifetime, but was instead happy with the recognition and encouragement of her own earth magic. They all enjoyed the experience and Severus was greatly relieved when, despite his disturbingly intuitive insight, Garrick Ollivander did not realise that Severus was living his life again. The last stop they made in Diagon Alley was in the magical creatures shop, where they purchased a handsome barn owl for the children to share, who Lily promptly named Glimfeather after the talking owl in CS Lewis' _Chronicles of Narnia_. Tired, happy and amazed by all they had seen, they finally returned home to Durham to enjoy the rest of the summer before the children and Alex would all begin their new schools.

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¹ _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ by JK Rowling, Chapter 34.

² The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act was not introduced until 1976.

³ Conscription in the UK continued for some time after the Second World War, with the last people being called up in 1960 and being discharged in 1963. Alexander Evans and Tobias Snape would both have done National Service.

⁴ Trade slang for an electrician.

⁵ According to Pottermore, Minerva McGonagall was born in 1935. Based on the information given about Eileen Prince Snape to date, she will have been born between 1929-1935. For various reasons, I have decided to put the two witches in the same school year.


	3. Severus Returns to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, don't own them – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and Susan Sto-Helit of the Discworld belongs to Terry Pratchett and neither of them belongs to me; I'm just playing in their sandboxes.

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**Author's Notes:**

» This story is very loosely based on the Reptilia28 "Don't Fear the Reaper" Death Challenge and will probably feature Severus more than Harry and Hermione, even though they will all be involved in the story.

» I'm not a prolific writer – writing doesn't come easily to me – so updates will be infrequent, however, I do intend to finish this story, no matter how long it may take me.

» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione, for all her help and support.

» Oops! Durham School has not been co-ed for nearly as long as I thought it had. (I misread on the website where it said 29 years as 39 years – wishful thinking on my part! – and then added a few more years for good measure.) Rather than revise the previous two chapters, where Hermione's family is established as being from Wolsingham in County Durham and the Evans family moved to Durham, as Durham School won't feature much in this story, please pretend that it has, in fact, been co-ed since the late 1960s/early 1970s. I apologise to any alumni of Durham School for messing with their school's history.

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**CHAPTER 3: SEVERUS RETURNS TO HOGWARTS**

Severus and Lily sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with two first-year boys named James Potter and Sirius Black. They had bid farewell to Eileen and the Evans family and were now on their way to school. Both children were bubbling with excitement, however, for Severus the thought of returning to Hogwarts was bittersweet. He had been advised by Susan Sto-Helit to ask the Sorting Hat not to place him in Slytherin this time round and while he understood the necessity for this, it felt as though he were betraying his very self. Additionally, once he arrived at the school, he would be back under Albus Dumbledore's jurisdiction again and that thought brought him no joy whatsoever. He still had not forgiven the old man for the despicable way he had treated Severus in the past, for using and manipulating people before discarding them when they were no longer useful to him, and for the way he had encouraged dissension merely to feed his own already overlarge ego. In all honesty, Severus doubted he would ever manage to forgive Dumbledore.

Severus remembered the conversation he had previously had with Lily on the Express about Houses. That was when the Marauders – he mentally sneered at the name – had first noticed them. He knew he needed to initiate a similar conversation to attract the attention of the other boys sitting in their compartment.

"I wonder what House we'll be in? You're clever enough for Ravenclaw and brave enough for Gryffindor," he said. Remembering how she had abandoned him in their last lifetime, he privately acknowledged she was perhaps not suitable for loyal Hufflepuff. While he had hurtfully insulted Lily back then, her lack of understanding of the humiliation he had suffered, and her unyielding and implacable lack of forgiveness still stung.

"What about you? Wasn't your Mum in Slytherin?"

.

_"Slytherin?"_

_One of the boys sharing the compartment, who had shown no interest in at all in Lily or Snape until that point, looked round at the word._

_"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked the boy lounging on the seats opposite him¹_.

.

Severus could hear Susan Sto-Helit's voice in his mind. _"Severus, Harry, Hermione: because you three are all going back with your memories intact, you get to choose what House the Hat will sort you into. Severus, you can't be in Slytherin again so you'll need to choose another House. I know you love Slytherin but the people who are sorted into Slytherin in your time dishonour that noble House. I'm sorry but you in particular need to be neutral, otherwise you won't be able to make friends with the Marauders, you'll lose Lily and you won't be able to avoid becoming a Death Eater. Quite simply, if you're in Slytherin, you will fail."_

Before Sirius could reply to James, Severus quickly spoke. "It's lucky I don't want to be Slytherin then, isn't it? I'm Severus Snape and this is my sister, Lily Evans."

"Sister?" The question was asked in obvious confusion, given their different surnames.

"My parents are Sev's guardians," explained Lily. "We've been brought up as brother and sister."

"Didn't Lily say your mother had been in Slytherin?" asked Sirius curiously. He was obviously interested in Severus' apparent rejection of all things Slytherin because he, of course, was in the same situation. All the Blacks had been in Slytherin, too.

Severus nodded. "My Mum's family is an old pureblood family. They've always been in Slytherin. They disowned Mum when she married a muggle. The marriage was a disaster but she had to stay because she had nowhere else to go, until Lily's parents found out and helped us. I'm actually a lot like Mum so I probably could be a Slytherin, but if her family doesn't want Mum or me, then I see no reason to follow their traditions, especially when it would mean being in a House that would look down on Lils here."

Lily smiled brightly at her foster brother and James nodded approvingly at his rejection of Slytherin. Sirius, however, looked thoughtful.

.

_"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said._

_"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed all right!"_

_"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"_

_James lifted an invisible sword._

_"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad¹."_

.

Severus nodded. "Gryffindor could be good," he said, figuratively gritting his teeth. To be honest, he really did not have a high opinion of Gryffindors. His experience was that they were all brash, unruly, impetuous and annoying. His experience of James and Sirius was even worse, however, he could not risk antagonising these boys as, to his private irritation, he needed to be friends with them this time round.

"It wouldn't suit me, though," he continued. "From what my Mum says, Gryffindor is like the Party House, and I think it'll be a bit too rowdy for me. I'm not really a party person – I prefer reading and I like a calm atmosphere. I've had enough chaos in my life already! I'm definitely not a Hufflepuff either, so I'm hoping for Ravenclaw; I think that will suit me best."

"The Party House – I like the sound of that!" cried Sirius exuberantly.

James and Sirius introduced themselves and as the four of them sat talking, Severus could already see a gleam of interest in James' eyes when he looked at Lily. She was lit up with anticipation and excitement over finally going to Hogwarts and she looked absolutely adorable.

Several hours later, stiff from sitting in the cramped compartment for so long, the children clambered out the Hogwarts Express and onto the platform at Hogsmeade. As always, Hagrid gathered together all the first years and led them down to the boats, while the older students made their way to the castle in the carriages pulled by Thestrals. With only four students being allowed in each boat, Severus and Lily sat with James and Sirius. As the boats magically glided across the Black Lake, Severus eagerly looked for the first, magnificent glance of Hogwarts. As the castle came into sight, the nervously chattering children fell into an awed silence.

When the boats docked, they timorously stumbled up the steps to the doors of the castle, where they were met by Professor McGonagall, who gave them her standard speech about each House having a noble tradition and their Houses becoming their family. _"Some family,"_ Severus cynically grumped to himself, thinking of the self-serving, back-stabbing Slytherins who had been his Housemates in his previous life, and with that thought, he began to reconcile himself to being sorted into Ravenclaw.

The first years were brought into the Great Hall and gazed in wonder at the ceiling. "It's enchanted to look like the sky outside," Severus whispered to Lily. When the Hat had finished its welcome song, the sorting proceeded much as he remembered it last time. Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter were all sorted into Gryffindor, just as before.

The sorting of Remus and James passed without incident but Sirius Black being sorted into Gryffindor generated whispers all around the Great Hall. Albus Dumbledore was looking pensive and Horace Slughorn, Head of Slytherin, had a look of confusion and shock on his face. Professor Slughorn was fond of boasting that he had had all the Blacks in his House and Sirius had just ended that perfect record. Narcissa Black, just beginning her sixth year, was glaring daggers at her younger cousin while her older sister, Andromeda, in her seventh year², instead looked startled but curious. Truth be told, she looked more than curious – she looked as though she had had a revelation.

_"Perhaps Sirius' sorting helps Andromeda to step away from her family and marry Ted Tonks,"_ Severus speculated.

Interestingly, this time Peter Pettigrew had been a hatstall and Sirius wondered if the Hat had considered sorting Peter into Slytherin. The fact that in Severus' previous lifetime, Pettigrew had managed to deceive so many people for so long, including his best friends, said to Severus that Pettigrew was a quintessential Slytherin. Lily had been another hatstall and for a moment Severus allowed himself to hope that she would be sorted into Ravenclaw with him, a more realistic hope than his previous desire for her to be sorted with him into Slytherin. However, to Severus' resigned acceptance, she was again sorted into Gryffindor. Finally it was his turn.

"Snape, Severus."

He walked slowly to the stool and sat down with the Sorting Hat on his head. _"What have we here? Oh, how interesting. This is your seventh life, I see. That's not something I come across very often. Well, you have your memories intact and I'm sure you know that means you're allowed to choose which House you wish to be sorted into, so that you can complete your tasks,"_ the Hat said to Severus.

_"Yes, thank you. I would like be in Ravenclaw, please."_

_"Are you sure? I could put you back in Slytherin if you like?"_

_"I'm sure, thank you. I think I'll have a more peaceful and enjoyable experience at Hogwarts this time if I'm in Ravenclaw," _he replied decisively.

_"A wise choice, young man,"_ the Hat approved and proclaimed, "RAVENCLAW!"

Severus stood up and made his way over to the Ravenclaw table. Sitting down, he looked towards the Gryffindor table and saw Lily sitting beside James and Sirius. She waved at him and he smiled back.

"Who's the pretty red-head?" asked a slim, dark-haired boy with melting, brown, spaniel eyes. Severus recognised him as Gaspard Shingleton, who would one day invent the self-stirring cauldron³.

"My sister, Lily Evans," Severus replied. "I'm Severus Snape. Nice to meet you. I guess we'll be spending time together over the next few years."

"I guess so," the other boy laughed.

A girl sitting opposite him, who looked remarkably like Minerva McGonagall, asked curiously, "How come you have different surnames if you're brother and sister?"

"Lily's parents are my guardians. We were brought up as brother and sister," Severus explained, parroting the words Lily had used earlier to Sirius and James. He sighed mentally. _"I wonder how often we'll need to explain that?"_

"Don't take this the wrong way but you look a bit like Professor McGonagall. Sound like her, too," remarked Gaspard.

The girl nodded. "She's my aunt. I'm Marsali McGonagall," she introduced herself.

The first years sat chatting awkwardly as they began to get to know the people they would be living with for the next seven years. Severus, of course, recognised many of the students who had been in Hogwarts with him previously, more especially those he had had dealings with as parents of pupils he had taught. He was very careful to think before he spoke, lest he give away knowledge he should not possess, either about these people or about the school. After seven years as a student in his last lifetime and another seventeen years on staff, he knew far more about Hogwarts than the average first year.

Severus glanced over at the Gryffindor table to check on Lily and was pleased to see her chatting amiably to some of the other girls in their year. Remus was sitting opposite James and Sirius and the three boys seemed to be getting on like a house on fire. Satisfied that Lily was settling in and friendships were being developed as before, Severus turned back to his own Housemates.

To his surprise, Severus found himself getting along fairly well with all the other Ravenclaw first years. The legendary Ravenclaw intelligence meant that he did not have to dumb down his manner of speech for his year mates and he was able to relax and not worry about sounding too old for his years, as had been the case in his primary school back in Cokeworth. He particularly enjoyed a lively conversation with Gaspard and Marsali.

_"Minerva and I always had a love/hate relationship when I was on staff. We loved swapping ideas and thoughts as much as we loved swapping insults. Marsali really is like her aunt. I can see us getting along, as we won't have any inter-House rivalry to get in the way, like it did with Minerva and I,"_ he reflected. _"And I don't know if Gaspard invented the self-stirring cauldron out of an interest in potions or an interest in enchanting or both, but either way, I think we'll have enough common interests to become friends. It could be very interesting to work with him when we're older."_

Soon the students were all being shepherded off to bed. As they stood up from their table, Severus finally glanced over at the Slytherin table. There were very few of his former Housemates that he would miss. He had once been close to Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa Black Malfoy, but knew that as a first year he did not have much chance of influencing them away from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He knew how strongly they would believe in and support Voldemort and his rhetoric over the next decade and so had already resigned himself to the loss of their friendship. The only other Slytherin he would have called a real friend, even more than Lucius, was Regulus Black, who would be starting Hogwarts next year. Regulus and Severus had initially bonded over their mutual dislike of Reg's brother, Sirius, however, they had soon become true friends.

_"I just wish Regulus had trusted me enough to ask for my help,"_ Severus thought sadly. Regulus had died at only eighteen years old, while betraying Voldemort, and although Severus planned to become friends with the Marauders, he hoped that as a neutral Ravenclaw, he might nonetheless be able to become friends with Regulus as well, should an opportunity arise. Lucius and Narcissa were a lost cause but there was still a chance Severus might be able to save Regulus from his fate.

Upon entering the Ravenclaw common room, Severus was struck by the serene atmosphere. The Slytherin common room was all about politics – trying to make alliances and establish a good position in the hierarchy – making it hard to relax comfortably. The Ravenclaw common room, in contrast, was much calmer and the atmosphere was very conducive to peaceful study.

"Everyone gather round a minute, please," called the prefect who had escorted the first years to Ravenclaw Tower. "My name is Aleria Elwood and I'm one of the Ravenclaw prefects. There are six prefects in each House – two each in fifth, sixth and seventh year – and the other Ravenclaw prefects will introduce themselves to you over the next few days. I'd like you all to meet in the common room at half past seven tomorrow morning so that a prefect can escort you back to the Great Hall for breakfast; you'll receive your class schedules at that time. We'll also be escorting you to all your classes for the first week, as it's easy to get lost until you know your way around the castle. There's little point in preparing maps for you, unfortunately, as this is a magical castle and walls, doors and rooms have a habit of moving.

"The entrance to the dorms is in that alcove behind the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Girls to the left, boys to the right. The dorms are divided by year. You'll also see a notice-board in that alcove. Copies of any important announcements will be placed there. There will be tutoring for each subject and year group, offered by older students and you'll also see the sign-up sheets on the notice-board from the third week of term onwards. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help, rather take advantage of the opportunity to improve your knowledge and ability. There will also be a weekly session in wizarding culture for anyone muggleborn or muggle-raised who would like to know more about our magical traditions."

"All right, that's everything for now. Don't be afraid or shy to approach any Ravenclaw prefect, or indeed any older student in this House, if you have any questions or problems. Off to bed with you; your trunks and pets will all be beside your beds by now, except for owls, which will be in the Owlery. I'll see you again in the morning."

Yawning and stumbling with exhaustion after their long and nerve-wracking day, the first years gladly made their way to bed. Pushing open the door marked "First Year Boys," Severus entered the room, looking round curiously. Ravenclaw Tower was bright and airy and vastly different to the very formal, chilly and dank Slytherin Dungeon, with its strange, green tinge coming from being located beneath the Black Lake.

He found his bed and prepared his things for the following day. Eileen had insisted that Severus and Lily both buy book bags with extension and feather-light charms on them, so knowing that he would only receive his timetable in the morning and not wanting to have to trudge all the way back up to Ravenclaw Tower after breakfast to get his books, he packed everything into his book bag. He then washed up, undressed into pyjamas and got into bed with a quill and some parchment. Seeing the other boys were already falling asleep, he closed the curtains around his bed, cast a silent, mild _Lumos_, and began to write a letter home.

.

_It's late and I really should go to sleep but I'm too excited to sleep before I write to you. I'm sorry, Mum, if you already know most of what I'm going to say but I thought it would be quicker this once to send identical letters to you and to Uncle Alex, Aunt Iris and Tuney, so I don't end up spending all night letter writing! I don't want to be too tired for my first classes in the morning._

_The journey from Kings Cross was long but Lily and I got on well with a couple of other boys who were in the same compartment as us, James Potter and Sirius Black, and so we passed the time quite easily. When we arrived at Hogsmeade station, the first years were separated from the rest of the school. I'm not sure how the older students get from the station to the castle, but the first years are taken in boats across a lake. The first view of the castle from the boats is stunning. The castle is like a magnificent old lady and I'm looking forward to exploring her._

_When we arrived at the main doors, we were met by the Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. If you remember, she's the professor who came to tell us Lily is a witch. She told us a little bit about each of the Houses and then led us to an ante-chamber where we waited until it was time for us to be Sorted. Everyone was nervous but most tried to hide it by chatting to their fellow first years. When we were finally shown into the Great Hall, everyone fell silent. The Great Hall is huge and very grand and impressive, with a Head table and four long House tables. That wasn't all that amazed us, though. The ceiling is enchanted always to reflect the sky outside and it looked like the clouds and stars were right there in the Great Hall with us. Between that and the sight of hundreds of candles floating magically above our heads, we were all awestruck._

_We were called over one at a time to sit on a stool and put a Hat on our heads. This Hat apparently goes back to the time of the Founders of Hogwarts and its enchanted to be able to assess our minds and hearts and sort us into the House we're best suited for. It shouted out the name of the House it sorted each of us into and then we went and sat down at our House tables. Once we were sorted, patches with the House badges magically appeared on our robes. Lily was sorted with James and Sirius into Gryffindor, which is supposed to be the House of the Brave, while I was sorted into Ravenclaw, which is the House of the Intelligent. Lily's sorting took quite a while – I think the Sorting Hat may have been debating whether to place her into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I was disappointed we weren't in the same House but I got on well with the rest of the first year Ravenclaws during the Welcome Feast, most especially a boy named Gaspard Shingleton and a girl named Marsali McGonagall. Marsali is Professor McGonagall's niece and I think she was quite pleased not to be sorted into Gryffindor. She said that fond as she is of her aunt, it will be hard enough simply being taught by her. Having her aunt as her Head of House as well would be too much._

_After the Feast, we were escorted to our House common room by the Ravenclaw prefects, who are very helpful and seem to take good care of the first year students. The Ravenclaw common room is decorated in blue and bronze, which are the House colours for Ravenclaw. It's a very serene room, with lots of bookcases, comfortable-looking couches and tables for studying. From the little I saw of the Gryffindor students, I think I would have found Gryffindor too noisy – you know me, I like my peace and quiet! I'm sorry I wasn't sorted into Slytherin like you, Mum, but I think I'll be very happy in Ravenclaw, so I hope you don't mind too much._

_I'll write again when I've settled in a bit more to tell you how things are going. Write back soon and, Tuney, don't forget to tell us how things are at Durham School. I hope you make friends quickly, too._

_Love_

_Sev_

.

Severus copied the letter with a quick _Gemino_ and then filled in salutations at the top of each letter, addressing one to Eileen and the other to Alex, Iris and Petunia. Laying the letters on his bedside table, he uttered a silent _Nox_ and when the light in his wand extinguished, he lay down and joined the other boys in sleep.

The following morning, the excited first years were escorted down to the Great Hall by Aleria and one of the male prefects, Adam Dawlish. Seeing Lily already sitting eating breakfast, with James and Sirius next to her, he walked over to ask how her first night had been. "I've already written a letter home," he said, "and knowing you, you probably have too. Shall we go to the Owlery together later, so that Glimfeather won't have to make a double journey?"

Lily nodded. "How about after classes? Meet here straight after, because I want to have enough time to visit the library before supper."

Severus smiled and agreed. He was about to make his way over to the Ravenclaw table when he was accosted by one of the older Gryffindor boys.

"Hey, what are you doing sniffing round our firsties?" the boy demanded arrogantly. "Leave her alone! Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll protect you from the horrible Ravenclaw," he continued, putting his arm round her and pulling her up against him, winking at her in a manner he obviously thought was irresistible. Recognising the boy as Garvan McLaggen, the father of the equally obnoxious Cormac McLaggen, who he had taught in his last lifetime, Severus was about to interfere but Lily beat him to the punch.

Lily promptly stamped hard on the boy's foot and elbowed him viciously in the gut. Then she whirled round, her long, red hair flying out behind her, and proceeded to eviscerate Garvan McLaggen verbally.

"That's my brother, you ignorant ape! And where the hell do you get off pawing me like that, you pervert? I'm not your sweetheart and I certainly don't want your disgusting hands all over me! Leave me alone, you filthy pig!"

At the end of her rant, Lily burst into tears, running over to Severus for comfort. A tall Gryffindor with the Head Girl badge pinned to her robes came over to the upset first years.

"McLaggen, it's never acceptable to force yourself upon a girl. It's particularly inappropriate for a fifteen year old to molest an eleven year old. Keep your hands to yourself in future or you'll have me to deal with," she stated ominously, brandishing her wand at him. "Nice work defending yourself, by the way, Firstie. What's your name?"

"Lily Evans," she hiccupped from Severus' arms.

"I'm Sophie Kincaid, the Head Girl. If you have any questions or need any help, just come to me."

Lily nodded in thanks just as Professor McGonagall appeared, with a pile of class schedules in her hand. "Is there a problem here?" she asked sternly. "Mr Snape, what are you doing at the Gryffindor table? I do believe you're a Ravenclaw, aren't you?"

"He only come to say good morning to his sister, Professor, and McLaggen took it upon himself to accuse the boy of harassing Miss Evans before touching her inappropriately himself. As you can see, she's quite upset," explained the Head Girl.

"Please accept my apology, Mr Snape; it slipped my mind that you and Miss Evans are siblings. Miss Kincaid, please escort Miss Evans to the infirmary for a Calming Draught and then take her to her first class," said Professor McGonagall wearily, before turning to Garvan McLaggen with daggers in her eyes. "McLaggen, what have I told you about your behaviour? You will either learn to keep your hands to yourself or I will use a sticking charm to stick your hands to your sides for a month. Twenty points from Gryffindor and two weeks' detention with Mr Filch."

Stopping only to collect her own and Lily's timetables from Professor McGonagall on her way past, the Head Girl led the distraught Lily out the Great Hall and as Professor McGonagall moved further down the table and out of earshot, Sirius spoke quietly to James. "I think he needs a good pranking, don't you?"

James nodded and looked over to Remus and Peter who were sitting opposite. "Are you two in?"

They both nodded and Severus walked over to them. "Count me in too," he said quietly. The four boys looked at him in astonishment. "I may not be a Gryffindor but I'm still Lily's brother," he explained. "She's more than capable of sticking up for herself and she'd be furious if I confronted that prat directly – believe me, an angry Lily is _not_ something you ever want to experience! – but some pranks that she can't _prove_ I had any part in? Like I said, count me in."

James and Sirius both sported evil grins at that. "We'll maraud the stupid git until he's too scared to get up in the morning," James declared self-righteously. "That'll teach him to try and prey on vulnerable first years."

"For we are the Marauders," Sirius avowed, "and all shall fear our name."

"I'd best get over to the Ravenclaw table," said Severus. "Shall we meet up later? I promised to meet up with Lily before supper, so perhaps after?"

The four Gryffindors nodded in agreement and Severus went to eat some breakfast while there was still time. _"Well, getting on good terms with the Marauders is turning out to be a lot easier than I expected,"_ he pondered as he sat down. _"Now all I need to do is teach them to use some subtlety, so we don't all get caught with our first prank."_

As Severus helped himself to some breakfast, Gaspard and Marsali looked at him curiously. "What was that all about?" asked Marsali. "Auntie Minerva looks absolutely furious. She's practically spitting fire!"

Severus nodded. Minerva did indeed look furious and knowing her temper, he had no doubt that McLaggen was very lucky the woman had iron self-control. "That loathsome beast tried to come onto my sister," he explained angrily. "According to the Head Girl, he's fifteen and he was trying it on with an eleven year old girl."

"That would mean he's a fifth year, wouldn't it? That's disturbing," Gaspard shuddered.

"What are the Gryffindors planning to do to him?" Marsali asked quietly and Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know Gryffindors," she snorted. "You think I haven't heard stories from my aunt? Those boys you were talking to – you're all going to prank him, aren't you?"

Severus merely looked impassively at her, not wanting to get into trouble.

"Oh, don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to report it. If you need any help, though..." she tailed off with a wink and Severus smiled.

"Lily's too straight to do anything about him herself," he explained. "She'll punch him in the midst of a rage but she doesn't appreciate that sometimes calm and considered retribution is required. Thanks for the offer of help. If we need you, I'll let you know."

The day proceeded quietly after that. Lily was back with the first year Gryffindors in time for her first class and after classes she happily joined Severus on the trek to the Owlery. "I didn't say anything about that idiot to Mum and Dad," she told Severus. "I probably over-reacted anyway."

"No, you didn't over-react, Lils. He had no right to grab you like that. Besides, look at it this way: a lot of people who have been brought up in magical homes are going to think you're an easy target because as a muggleborn you shouldn't know any spells yet or know very much about the magical world in general. They're also not going to expect you to be able to defend yourself without magic – they probably don't even know it's possible to do that! Well, Mum's taught you quite a bit about the wizarding world over the past couple of years and you've proved you can handle yourself, even without magic. You've established you're not a walkover so hopefully no one will try anything like that again."

"And if they do, there's a lot more self-defence that Dad taught me," she smirked.

"Exactly," Severus agreed smugly. The two children shared a conspiratorial look as they walked into the Owlery.

"Glimfeather," he called and the owl immediately flew down to land on Severus' outstretched arm.

Lily gently stroked the handsome barn owl, who preened under her ministrations. "Are you all right here in the Owlery?" she asked their pet, who hooted happily in response.

Severus attached his and Lily's letters to the owl's leg. "There's a letter for my Mum in Hogsmeade and then two letters for the Evans in Durham," he told the owl, who took off as soon as Severus had finished tying on all the letters.

oOo - oOo - oOo

As the days passed, both children settled in at Hogwarts quite nicely. Lily quickly became fast friends with the girls in her dorm and, since the Marauders were not attacking Severus in this timeline, she even got on reasonably well with the four Gryffindor first year boys. McLaggen avoided her after his disastrous first encounter with her, but Severus and the Marauders kept an eye on him anyway, not trusting that he would let his embarrassment at Lily's hands pass without trying to exact some form of revenge.

Severus, in the meantime, had formed a trio with Gaspard and Marsali. _"The Bronze Trio, Merlin help me,"_ he thought sardonically, paraphrasing the nickname given to Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in his last lifetime. While Gaspard and Marsali were definitely his best friends, he was also friendly with all the other Ravenclaw first years and even some of the Hufflepuffs, who shared most classes with the Ravenclaws. He chose to avoid the Slytherins, however, as they were already a distasteful bunch and would only grow up to become even more unpleasant.

He also spent the next few weeks busily plotting with the Marauders against Garvan McLaggen. Although the older boy had kept a low profile since his confrontation with Lily, the Marauders had learned that the obnoxious fifth year had a bad case of wandering hands and had behaved inappropriately with a number of other girls in the past – all of them younger than McLaggen and therefore with less knowledge of defensive spells than McLaggen had. Consequently, the Marauders and Severus wanted to pull a prank that would teach McLaggen a lesson. If it also humiliated him, so much the better. The problem was that as first years who had only just begun their education at Hogwarts a few weeks ago, there was not much they could do against a fifth year student, short of using Dungbombs from Zonko's Joke Shop, which was not quite the effect they were aiming for.

However, knowing that he had to make friends with the Marauders, Severus had come to Hogwarts prepared. He had taken the opportunity whenever he visited Eileen to peruse Tomes & Scrolls, the bookshop in Hogsmeade. There he had picked up cheaply in the second-hand section a tattered, old book of prank potions, which had gone out of print long ago. Of course, he could easily make these potions and better without the aid of the book, however, since he needed to hide his advanced knowledge of potions, this book would be a handy tool for him when dealing with the Marauders. At Master Brewyer's urging, Eileen had purchased an advanced potions kit for Severus and so he had every ingredient that could possibly be required for these potions. When he showed the book to the Marauders, they pounced on it in glee and after much debate, a prank was selected. Now it only remained to find somewhere the conspirators could brew in secret. Severus did not want to reveal the Room of Requirement so soon but, fortunately, none of the potions in the prank book took long to brew and so they decided to use an old, abandoned classroom in a corridor that Severus knew from long experience had no portraits in it. He did the brewing while Sirius and James kept a look-out at the door and Peter and Remus watched Severus.

"You're really good at brewing," said Peter, gawking at Severus' skill.

"My Mum's a Potions Mistress," Severus explained, "so I have lots of practice brewing."

"I thought you live with Evans' family? Aren't they muggles?" asked James interestedly.

"I've only lived with them since I was nine. When my parents split up, Mum needed to finish her Mastery so she could support us. She lives in Hogsmeade above the apothecary shop now, but when she and Dad were still married, we lived near Lily's family. I was friends with Lily and her sister, Petunia, and her parents offered to take me in when Mum and Dad finally decided to call it a day. We all agreed it would be better for me to live with the Evans for a while, because Mum was busy with her Mastery and working in the shop and didn't have much time to take care of me or teach me my lessons. Besides, there isn't a room for me in the flat above the shop. So Lily's parents became my guardians in the muggle world and I lived with them and went to muggle school with Lily. If Mum couldn't come to visit me at the weekend, then I'd go to visit her – I didn't mind sleeping on the couch just for the odd night – and Master Brewyer always encouraged me to brew. Uncle Alex, Aunt Iris, Tuney, Lily, Mum and I are all like one family now. It's a bit odd but it works for us."

"How much younger is Petunia? When will she be coming to Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

"Tuney's two years older than us. She doesn't have spell magic, so she won't be coming to Hogwarts. Tuney and Aunt Iris both have earth magic, though. Mum brought Professor Sprout to meet them a while back and she's teaching them how to use their earth magic."

"Earth magic is really rare, especially in muggles," Sirius observed.

"I know. From what Aunt Iris says, her family has always had an affinity with the earth. Mum and Professor Sprout think they may be from a long line of squibs."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "That would make sense."

"Her family sound like really nice people," commented Remus.

"They are. They're the best," Severus smiled. "Okay, the potion's ready."

"Perfect," said James with glee. "Now, how are we going to give him the potion?"

"We either need a diversion so we can dose his pumpkin juice or else we could ask one of the kitchen elves. We'd have to be sure the elf wouldn't tell on us though. Their loyalty is to Hogwarts Castle and to the Headmaster, so we can't command them not to say anything if they're asked."

"You know such a lot about Hogwarts already and we've only been here for a few weeks," gushed Peter.

"It's in _Hogwarts: A History_," Severus explained.

"You've actually read _Hogwarts: A History_?" Sirius hooted. "I thought only losers did that."

"So does everyone else. So they don't read it and that's why only the losers learn the secrets of the castle," Severus snapped, annoyed with the arrogant boy who had yet to learn to mind his tongue. Sirius could often be unintentionally cruel, as he simply did not realise that his words could wound. This was something that Severus intended to address but as he did not want to risk alienating the boy, he decided to wait until they were closer friends.

Sensing the Ravenclaw boy's irritation, Remus quickly changed the subject. "It would probably be best if we don't use any of the house elves then. We need to plan a diversion."

With that, the five boys began to plot. It did not take them long to make a plan and they all went back to their common rooms, happily anticipating Sirius' upcoming birthday.

Sirius' birthday soon arrived and the boys made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.. As always, Severus was sitting at the Ravenclaw table and Sirius, Remus and Peter at the Gryffindor table. All four boys were sitting chatting unconcernedly with their friends as they ate. The three Gryffindors had made sure to state, so that a large number of people heard them, that James had slept in and was running late that morning. In reality, he was crouched in an alcove just outside the doors to the Great Hall, hidden by his father's invisibility cloak, which he had brought with him to Hogwarts. Once most of the students had arrived for breakfast, the boys put their plan into action and firecrackers and exploding glitter balloons suddenly erupted, blasting and whooshing all round the Great Hall.

Students were shrieking and laughing as they frantically tried to dodge the whirling projectiles, and in the midst of the chaos, James slipped into the Great Hall and made his way along the table to where Garvan McLaggen had been sitting, being careful not to bump into any of the students milling around. McLaggan had jumped up from his seat when a firecracker came too close to him for comfort, leaving the way clear for James to pour the potion into McLaggan's pumpkin juice. Job done, James quickly slid back out the Great Hall. He removed the cloak and hid it in his book bag, before re-entering the Great Hall and shouting out, "Sorry I'm late. Happy Birthday, Sirius!"

By this time, the staff were on their feet, subduing the exploding, whizzing firecrackers and balloons. Once the Hall was quiet again, the Headmaster twinkled across the room at the Gryffindor first year boys. "Happy Birthday, Mr Black. Far be it from me to deny the joy of birthday celebrations, but something a little less disruptive next time perhaps, hmm?"

"Of course, Headmaster. We do apologise for the disruption," agreed James affably.

Suddenly from the other end of the Gryffindor table there was a loud oinking sound. All eyes were drawn to Garvan McLaggen, who now sported a pig's snout, pig's ears and a pig's tail. His hands had turned into hooves and when he tried to speak, he could only grunt like a pig. Laughter rang out as everyone present registered what had happened to the boy. Many of the girls, who had suffered from his brand of 'charm,' were cheering and applauding. The oinking increased in volume and frequency as the furious boy carried on shouting and yelling, despite the fact that no words were coming out. He would have undoubtedly been issuing hexes if only he could speak or grasp his wand.

"I don't know who did this to you, McLaggen," drawled Sophie Kincaid, contempt and disgust evident in her voice. "But I'd say you deserved it. After all, you do behave like a sexist pig." With that, she turned her back on him and carried on her conversation with the girl sitting next to her. Around the Hall, all the students followed her lead and ignored the grunting, oinking pig-boy. The Marauders could barely contain their delight and triumph at how well their first prank had gone, while Severus serenely continued eating and chatting to Gaspard and Marsali, just as though nothing untoward had happened.

"Mr Black," called Professor McGonagall as she came over to the table of her boisterous Gryffindors. "Was your rather extravagant birthday celebration by any chance a cover up for this prank?" She had been teaching for long enough to be deeply suspicious of coincidences of this nature.

"Oh no, Professor. We thought there was a chance Sirius' birthday might be ignored by his family after the Howler he received for being sorted into Gryffindor, and we wanted to be sure he had a good birthday, to make up for his family being so angry with him. I apologise if we got a bit carried away but Sirius is the first of us to have a birthday since we arrived at Hogwarts and we were excited," explained Remus mildly. His face shone with sincerity and Professor McGonagall let the subject drop. She was very protective of her cubs and she had been furious on Sirius' behalf over that Howler, so mentioning it was a sure way to gain her sympathy. On hearing the Howler, Severus had been shocked to realise that it was far worse than the strongest Howler he had ever heard from the Queen of Howlers herself, Molly Weasley. This Howler had been very loud, very long, very angry and unpleasantly vicious.

Nodding at Remus in acknowledgement, Professor McGonagall turned back to McLaggen. "Off to the infirmary with you, McLaggen. Madam Pomfrey will fix you up," she ordered the angry fifth year. Her lips were twitching as she strived to hide her own reaction. It was not often that she felt such scorn for a student, and never before for one of her own cubs, so she had to admit that she had enjoyed this prank. _"It was no more than Mr McLaggen deserved,"_ she considered.

The Marauders and Severus met up later that day in the classroom they had used to brew the potion to celebrate their success. Sirius whooped in triumph. "Did you see their faces? Did you?" he cackled, as he capered around the room jubilantly.

"You're all right for a Ravenclaw, Snape. I'll be happy to team up with you anytime," declared James, to Severus' great shock.

_"Well, there's a turn up for the books,"_ thought the stunned boy. _"Who would have ever thought I'd be welcomed as a friend by the _Marauders_? And so easily?"_

The boys spent a little bit more time gloating and praising themselves for their own brilliance before separating. Severus returned to the Ravenclaw common room and sat down with Gaspard and Marsali to work on their homework. He had to dumb down his knowledge in order not to appear too advanced, however, he was fast gaining a reputation of being a bit of a know-it-all. _"At least I don't wave my hand in the air constantly, desperate to answer every question, like Miss Granger,"_ he chuckled to himself in amusement.

"So how did you do it?" Marsali asked.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, don't give me that, Sev. I know you and the Gryffindor first year boys pulled off that prank this morning – and so does my aunt, I'll bet. That was good work from Lupin, distracting her by bringing up that horrendous Howler, by the way. I doubt she feels much sympathy for McLaggen, though. In my opinion, he deserved everything you did to him and more!"

Severus sat back with a sigh. "I found an old book of prank potions in the used books section of Tomes & Scrolls. We chose the potion we felt best suited the occasion and brewed it in an disused classroom. The firecrackers and exploding glitter balloons at breakfast truly were partly because of Sirius' birthday, but they were also a diversion, so we could get the potion in to McLaggen's juice."

"You were sitting with us, I saw Black, Lupin and Pettigrew during the chaos and Potter didn't come in until later. I did think it might have been him but I didn't see him in the Great Hall at all until the Professors extinguished all the explosions and none of you them were anywhere near McLaggen's end of the table, so they can't have done it. So who did potion McLaggen's juice for you?"

"I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. I'm sorry. Not because I don't trust you – I do! – but because it's not my secret to tell."

"That's all right, Sev," said Gaspard. "If you've promised to keep a secret, then you shouldn't break your word, but can we see the book?"

"Of course! But don't tell anyone else about it, will you? If too many people hear of it, we won't be able to use it anymore."

"Deal!" Gaspard promised.

After that, things quietened down somewhat. Once he had recovered from his embarrassment, McLaggen reverted back to his old ways. He just did not seem to be able to stop himself, however, each time he behaved like a pig, he would soon find himself turning back into the pig-boy again and eventually even he managed to put cause and effect together and began to curb his sordid tendencies. A month spent with his hands glued to his sides except for when the professors temporarily released the sticking charm during class really brought the lesson home and, while his personality did not improve noticeably, at least he learned to keep his hands to himself.

Severus maintained his friendship with the Marauders but he spent most of his free time with Gaspard and Marsali, although Lily quite liked to join them when they were doing homework in the library. James had a habit of mysteriously turning up whenever Severus and Lily were alone together, but there was no animosity between the boys over the fiery red-head. Severus had firmly established himself as Lily's brother, so there was no need for any rivalry between the two boys, as James gradually and subtly began to stake a claim on the bright Gryffindor girl.

The rest of the term passed quickly and quietly and in December, Severus and Lily happily went home to Durham for Christmas, where they were joined by Eileen, who had some news for them.

"Master Brewyer isn't young. He's getting quite frail and his hands shake a lot. He can't prepare potions with any precision any more. He's going to live with his daughter and he's offered me a very good deal to buy the business. Money will be a bit tight again but the business should pay for itself in a few years' time. Sev, there's a proper room in the flat for you now. Oh, don't worry," she rushed to reassure him as she saw the slightly panicked look on his face. "You don't have to leave Uncle Alex, Aunt Iris, Tuney and Lily. They're your family now, too. But perhaps you could spend part of the summer holidays in Hogsmeade with me? You can do up the room however you want, so you'll feel like it's your own room."

"I'd really like that, Mum," he said a bit hoarsely as Eileen hugged him. "I love it here but I'd love to spend some more time with you as well."

"Well now you can, so that's settled," said Eileen happily.

_"I can't believe how much better things are this time round, just from becoming Lily's brother,"_ Severus marvelled. It seemed that Susan Sto-Helit had been right, no matter how much he had initially objected to this suggestion.

The rest of the Christmas holidays passed merrily as the family all caught up on each other's lives. Petunia loved Durham School and was very happy only being a weekly boarder. Even though she could not do much work in the garden during the winter, she still felt a need to tend it as much as possible. Professor Sprout did not have much time to visit when school was in session but she still managed to come every few weeks to help Iris and Petunia develop their earth magic further. Severus did not think that Albus was aware that Pomona was teaching Iris and Petunia earth magic and he was quite happy to keep it that way. Fortunately, Dumbledore had no particular interest in Lily at this point and without any contact between them, Lily was not in a position to mention it to him in conversation.

_"He's not evil like Voldemort or Grindelwald, but he is most definitely self-serving, egotistical and manipulative. I don't want him anywhere near my family if we can avoid it,"_ Severus decided resolutely.

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Meanwhile, back in Hogwarts, the man in question was ruminating on the surprises this year had thrown up. He had been shocked when Sirius Black had been sorted into Gryffindor but speedily saw the potential in this. _"A Black in the Lion's Den? One who wants to reject his family and their values? He can certainly be of use. He'll be delighted to do anything for me if I support his rebellion against his family and provide him with opportunities to rub their nose in it, all the while telling them that I'm trying to bring him back in line. And he's already made friends with the young Lupin boy who is so grateful to me for allowing him to attend Hogwarts that he'd do anything I asked of him."_

Then he frowned and turned to the Sorting Hat, which was sitting on a shelf in his office. "Hat, why did you sort Eileen Prince's son into Ravenclaw? I would have thought he would go into Slytherin."

The Hat sighed. "Albus, the boy may possibly have some Slytherin traits but he's not the only person to have traits of more than one House. Most people do. Mr Snape is extremely intelligent and has a enormous thirst for learning. He is a true Ravenclaw."

"But didn't he want to be in the same House as his mother and his ancestors?"

The Hat laughed scornfully. "The Princes disowned Eileen for marrying a muggle. Young Mr Snape has never met his mother's family and knows nothing about them. That he has no history or values from his Prince heritage is their doing, not his, as they were the ones to reject him. Hogwarts tells me he is doing well in Ravenclaw and fits in very well in that House. He is happy and has made good friends in Mr Shingleton and Minerva's niece."

Albus scowled at that. Disowned or not, he had expected the youngest member of the Prince family to be sorted into Slytherin and he did not like it when people did not fall in line with his expectations of them. He could see the connection between Mr Snape and Miss Evans but he had also noticed the interest Mr Potter was displaying in Miss Evans and he had hoped for some rivalry between the two boys. He would, of course, have supported Mr Potter, bringing the more valuable of the two boys into his camp. Once he had done that, the other Gryffindors would no doubt follow Mr Potter's lead. Now he would have to find some other way of getting these useful young boys to follow him. After all, Tom Riddle could only be defeated under the banner of Albus Dumbledore. He would need followers to help him defeat Tom and brash, impetuous Gryffindors made the perfect soldiers.

_"I certainly can't use Mr Snape against the Lions if he's a friend of Minerva's niece. Minerva would have my guts for garters,"_ he shuddered. While Minerva was one of his followers, she was also very protective not only of her Gryffindor cubs but more especially of her family. She was an extremely formidable woman and he had no intention of attracting her ire when there were no doubt other ways to achieve his goal.

_"Perhaps I should let slip Mr Lupin's condition to Mr Potter and Mr Black,"_ he debated to himself. _"Once the Black and Potter boys learn of their friend's condition, and that I've been so gracious as to allow him to attend Hogwarts regardless, they'll see me as a Leader to be admired. Oh yes, that could work out very well indeed."_

Deciding to wait until close to the end of the school year, to observe how the friendship between Remus, Sirius and James developed before disseminating that special piece of information, Dumbledore put his plotting to one side. He had time. Tom had not yet become such a danger that Dumbledore needed to come along and save the day. He wanted to recruit young followers who would regard him as a role-model and mentor, however, for now Dumbledore could afford to watch and wait.

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All too soon, the Christmas holidays were over and school had started again. Severus was finding that even though it was frustrating sitting in first year classes when his knowledge was far beyond that level, he needed to take the classes again for the practical aspect. His mind may retain the memories of his adult self, however, his body was only that of an eleven year old and he needed to build up his stamina and magical core. He knew the spells but he did not yet have the magical power to match his knowledge.

Severus and Lily made a point of continuing to spar against each other in self-defence exercises two or three times a week. Severus had discovered that the castle had assigned to him the same house elf who had been assigned to him when he had been Head of Slytherin. Somehow, the elves all knew he had been Headmaster of Hogwarts in another lifetime and they gave him the loyalty due to any Headmaster who was accepted by Hogwarts herself. Fortunately for Severus, this included keeping his secrets from the current Headmaster. Severus did not tell any of his friends about this as he would not be able to explain it satisfactorily to them, however, Fluxy, his assigned house elf, had helped transform the disused classrooms opposite the one where Severus and the Marauders had brewed the prank potion, and fit them to suit Severus' purposes.

Fluxy had merged all the classrooms along that side of the corridor, so they now had a running track around the outer edge of the merged space, with a sparring area in the centre. Fluxy had created gym mats for them from odds and ends around the castle and Severus was planning to bring with him to Hogwarts next year some basic exercise equipment, such as hand weights, boxing gloves, and a speedball so that he could work on speed, strength, accuracy and dodging. Fluxy had also promised to create a punch-bag, after Severus had shown him a picture of one and explained how it was filled, so that Severus could work on his power as well. After a while, the Marauders, Gaspard and Marsali had begun to join them in their exercise room and Severus and Lily were gradually teaching their friends about the advantages of physical exercise. Marsali was a natural with the skipping rope Lily had introduced her to and was becoming very fast on her feet. She also loved the idea of learning to toss idiots like McLaggen on his behind and was quickly picking up all the self-defence techniques that Lily and Severus could teach her. Lily and Severus invited her to visit during the summer, so that Alex could teach her more than they were able to. All the children were feeling the difference that regular exercise was making to both their bodies and their magical cores, except for Peter who quickly gave up, as he found exercising too much like hard work for his taste. Severus noticed but did not try and persuade him otherwise. _"Let Peter remain weak. We don't need him turning into a powerful opponent,"_ Severus observed.

The rest of the year sped by and soon it would be time to go back home for the summer. Sirius was despondent about having to return to his family home, knowing that he would be facing a storm of fury, however, he cheered up when James invited to visit the Potters. "You can stay as long as you want, Siri," he promised the other boy.

Although he had not as yet discovered the corridor the children had adopted for their own purposes, thanks no doubt to the intervention of Castle Hogwarts herself, Dumbledore had continued to keep a watchful eye on them and one day, when he overheard James and Sirius speculating about Remus' regular bouts of illness, he smiled to himself. On the full moon, he contrived a conversation with Horace Slughorn, the Potions Professor, in one of the corridors when James happened to be walking past.

"Will you be off harvesting ingredients again tonight, Horace? I know there are a number of potions ingredients that need to be harvested on the full moon but I do worry about your safety. Won't you take someone with you to watch your back, in case there are any werewolves around?" asked Dumbledore.

"Don't worry, Albus. I won't be harvesting this evening. It's almost the end of term and I have sufficient supplies to last me to the end of the year," Horace replied urbanely.

"That's good, Horace. Remember, next year, if you'd like anyone to accompany you, all you need to do is say."

"Of course, Headmaster."

James thought nothing of this conversation at the time but that night when he looked at Remus' empty bed, suddenly Dumbledore's hints clicked into place. He crept over to Sirius' bed and shook his shoulder. "Siri! Wake up!" he whispered urgently to his closest friend.

"What?" Sirius grumbled sleepily.

"Remus! He's a werewolf!"

"Don't be silly, Jamie. Of course he's not," Sirius replied patronisingly.

"No, listen to me, Siri. Remus gets ill about once a month. He's ill again tonight."

"So?"

"So, tonight's the full moon."

Sirius jerked up to sit upright and his head snapped round to the window. Sure enough, the moon was full and shining brightly.

"No, you're wrong. There must be some other explanation."

"Such as what? Why else would he be so secretive about his illness?"

Sirius scrubbed his face with his hands. "I don't know," he whispered.

"We're not going to let this affect us, right? We'll still be his friend?" said James warningly.

"What about Peter, Sev and Lily? Do we tell them?" asked Sirius.

James thought for a minute. "No, not until we've spoken to him. Remus has the right to choose who to tell. He's no danger to us. He obviously goes somewhere secure to transform."

"Agreed," said Sirius.

The two boys left it at that but cornered Remus in their training room a few days later.

"So, Remus, this illness of yours..." started James.

"We noticed you always seem to suffer from it on the full moon," continued Sirius.

"Coincidence or something more?" James inquired.

Remus went white and looked from one to the other. "I'll go and tell Dumbledore that I'm leaving Hogwarts," he whispered sadly.

As he turned to leave, Sirius grabbed him by the arm. "Wait! What do you mean, you're leaving Hogwarts?"

"You know what I am," he replied.

"So?" asked James, confused.

"So how can I stay if you know I'm a werewolf?"

"Why does our knowing change things? Does our knowing you've got a furry little problem suddenly make you more dangerous than when we didn't know?" James demanded.

"You don't mind?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Remus, Remus, Remus," said Sirius, shaking his head and placing his arm around Remus' shoulders. "You're a Marauder. You're one of us. Just because you change into a ravening beast once a month doesn't change that."

James, however, was looking disappointed. "We've been friends since our first night at Hogwarts. Do you really think so little of us? That we'd abandon you?"

"But... but... I'm a _werewolf!_"

"Did you ask to be bitten?" asked Sirius.

"No, of course not! I was only five years old when I was bitten. I certainly didn't ask for it to happen!"

"Do you take precautions so you won't be a danger to anyone?" asked James.

"Of course I do! I'd never want anyone to have to suffer like I do."

"Then what's the problem?" asked Sirius, puzzlement showing on his face.

"Do you really mean that?" Remus was in shock.

"You're still Remus Lupin, our friend. Just because you become a hairy monster once a month doesn't change that," declared James.

Remus kept looking from Sirius to James and back again, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, Remus. We really mean that," James reiterated, reassuring his friend.

"Marauders' Honour!" confirmed Sirius.

Remus collapsed onto his knees, tears running down his cheeks as he looked up at his friends. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "I can't tell you how much this means to me."

Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Okay, enough with the mushy stuff," he said. "We're Marauders, not girls!"

James laughed. Sirius had not been particularly funny but they all needed the relief from the tension and emotion. "Remus?" he said, tentatively. "Do you want to tell anyone else or would you rather we just keep it between us three for now?"

Remus wiped his eyes and blew his nose. "Do you think anyone else will work it out?" he asked, worriedly.

"Severus and Lily both have the intelligence to put two and two together but I don't think they'd say anything," Sirius considered. "Gaspard and Marsali are also intelligent enough but I don't think they spend enough time around you to pick up on the clues. It took us all year, after all, and we share a dorm with you!"

"Peter won't work it out by himself," said James decisively. "He'll need someone to tell him."

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not say anything right now. Let me think it over during the summer holidays and I'll let you know my decision at the beginning of next year. The problem is, I promised Dumbledore not to say anything and he's been so generous in allowing me to come to Hogwarts despite my condition that I'd hate to disappoint him."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything or hold it against you either," said Severus, walking into the room. "I haven't so far, have I?"

"How long were you listening outside the door?" Sirius demanded angrily.

"Long enough. Look, Sirius, there's no need to get angry," Severus sighed. "I worked it out a long time ago and I didn't say anything to anyone. Not to Remus, not to you two, not to Peter, Gaspard or Marsali, not even to Lily. I'm not about to let the secret out now."

"So why were you eavesdropping?" asked Sirius, suspiciously.

_"Typical Black. Jump to conclusions and accuse before actually checking the facts,"_ Severus thought, rolling his eyes. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was about to come in but when I heard what you were talking about – you really need to learn to talk more quietly when you're discussing secrets, Sirius – I decided to guard the door so no one else would walk in until the conversation was over."

"Oh," Sirius looked abashed.

"Thanks for that, Sev," James nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"No problem. Remus, I don't hold your condition against you and I'm sure Lily won't either. I don't know about Gaspard and Marsali – they've grown up in the wizarding world and have no doubt been taught to believe werewolves are dark creatures – but the fact that her aunt has no problem with you being here at Hogwarts is probably enough for Marsali to accept you. It's entirely your choice, though, who you tell and when."

"Thanks," Remus croaked again. "I appreciate it."

By mutual consent, the boys said no more on the subject and began their usual workout. They did not mention the subject again but by the time they left Hogwarts for the summer holidays, there was an unspoken accord between them, to protect Remus' secret and support him as best they could. The five Gryffindors and three Ravenclaws parted ways at Kings Cross station, promising to keep in touch and to meet up if possible during the holidays.

Eileen met them on the platform and side-along apparated Severus and Lily to Durham. The two children ran into the house and grabbed Petunia, Alex and Iris in a huge hug.

_"I'm glad to be home_. _I've never felt that way before about school holidays,"_ thought Severus in wonderment.

"It's good to be back," he told his family happily.

oOo - oOo - oOo

¹ _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ by JK Rowling, Chapter 34.

² Andromeda is the middle sister. According to canon, Bellatrix was born in 1951 and Narcissa in 1955. We're not told Andromeda's DOB but I've chosen to place her in the year above Narcissa so she'll still be in Hogwarts for Sirius' sorting, because I wanted that moment where she realises it's actually possible to rebel successfully against her family.

³ web dot archive dot org /web/20110623023929/jkrowling dot com /textonly/en/wotm dot cfm (or harrypotter dot wikia dot com /wiki/Gaspard_Shingleton) – I have no idea which House Gaspard Shingleton was in, or even if he attended Hogwarts, but I wanted to use someone who does actually exist in JRK's Potterverse and he seemed like he and Severus might have enough common interests to become friends. He was born in 1959, so I'm giving him a birthday between 1 September and 31 December, to put him in the same year as Severus, Lily and the Marauders.


	4. Time Passes

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, don't own them – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and Susan Sto-Helit of the Discworld belongs to Terry Pratchett and neither of them belongs to me; I'm just playing in their sandboxes.

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**Author's Notes:**

» This story is very loosely based on the Reptilia28 "Don't Fear the Reaper" Death Challenge and will probably feature Severus more than Harry and Hermione, even though they will all be involved in the story.

» Updates will be infrequent – probably about once a month – however, I do intend to finish this story, no matter how long it may take me.

» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione, for all her help and support.

» Once again, I must ask forgiveness for having made Durham School co-ed many years before that actually happened.

» This is a bit of a filler chapter, I'm afraid, but rushing through Severus' early Hogwarts years will allow me to jump forward in the next chapter to the time when significant events start happening.

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**CHAPTER 4: TIME PASSES**

The next few years passed quietly, punctuated by a few significant events that stuck in Severus' mind.

oOo - oOo - oOo

Second year was the year of the Blacks. When Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor the previous year, Narcissa had confined herself to glaring at her cousin and to making snide comments in retaliation, while her older sister, Andromeda, had kept herself aloof. This year, however, Regulus Black began Hogwarts and he joined Narcissa in the family feud against his brother, with the pair of them teaming up against the Black family traitor.

Over the summer, Andromeda had eloped with muggleborn wizard, Ted Tonks, and the family were clearly taking their anger over this event out on Sirius. Observing the interactions between the three Blacks, Severus was not sure if the family blamed Sirius for Andromeda's rebellion, if they were scared Sirius would do the same as her and were therefore trying to bring him back into the fold by force, or if Narcissa and Regulus were hexing him just for the sake of it, since there was no love lost between Sirius and his family.

This year, Severus had been spending more time with his Ravenclaw friends, Gaspard and Marsali, and less time with the Marauders but one day in late February, he came across Narcissa and Regulus attacking Sirius and Peter in a quiet corridor. They had taken every possible opportunity to hex Sirius ever since the school year started but there was a malevolence about this particular attack that had not been present previously.

Peter was cowering in an alcove and Sirius was frantically trying to defend himself, while at the same time protect the weaker Pettigrew against the two powerful Slytherins. Regulus may only have been a first year but, like all Blacks, he had arrived in Hogwarts already armed with an arsenal of hexes. Taking a moment to assess the situation, Severus yelled out to one of the nearby portraits to summon Professors Slughorn, McGonagall and Flitwick and then waded into the fight, being very careful to use nothing other than shielding charms.

"Shields and defence only, Sirius. Trust me," he whispered. The two boys stood in front of the alcove Peter was in and erected shields around them. Now that there were two of them casting the shield charms, the charms were holding better and Sirius was less flustered.

Deep down, Severus had not yet truly given up on his old friends, Lucius Malfoy, and Narcissa and Regulus Black, however, with this encounter he felt the last remnants of those friendships fade away and he finally accepted the need to let go of the strings tying him to his past. _"I'll help them if the opportunity presents itself, for the sake of our past friendship, even though they're not aware of it, but I can't do more than that. They'll make their own choices and I have to let them make their own mistakes. Unfortunately, there's only so much I can fix,"_ he resolved sadly as the three relevant Heads of House approached. To Severus' displeasure, but not to his surprise, Headmaster Dumbledore accompanied them.

"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall demanded.

"Mr Snape, you seem to have a problem with Miss Black and Mr Regulus Black," observed Dumbledore.

_"Of course he picks on me. I'm not a Black. I'm unworthy of either being sucked up to or of being manipulated,"_ Severus sneered to himself.

Severus quickly explained. "I was taking a shortcut up to Ravenclaw Tower and I came across Narcissa and Regulus Black attacking Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was only using defensive spells to protect himself and Peter, but Narcissa and Regulus were using strong offensive spells. Regulus may only be a first year but Sirius is still only second year. He didn't stand a chance on his own against the two of them, especially as one of them is a seventh year, so I called for help and added my shield charm to his."

"Playing Devil's Advocate here," Professor Dumbledore smiled congenially upon Severus, "why should we believe your word over Miss Black's, Mr Snape?" Secretly, Dumbledore was gloating at being in a position to earn Sirius' gratitude and sway him to his banner by placing all the blame elsewhere.

Severus did not believe in Dumbldedore's amicability for one moment. He was here for no reason other than to stir the pot. _"Or cauldron, I suppose I should say,"_ he thought wryly. _"And does the old manipulator really think Sirius will think him the kindly benefactor if Dumbledore blames me over Reg and Narcissa? Sirius is far more loyal to his friends than his family."_

"My cousin attacked us just because we're Slytherins and then this ruffian came along and helped him!" snapped Narcissa, following Dumbledore's lead.

"Is this true, Mr Snape?" asked the Headmaster severely.

Sirius started to speak but Severus stood on his foot and Sirius shut up. "I don't know who started the altercation, as I arrived in the middle, but I do know that Sirius and Peter were in trouble, so I helped protect them from harm. I certainly didn't do anything to inflame the situation further. You have the portraits as witnesses as to my actions, Headmaster," said Severus urbanely. "You are also welcome to check our wands. You'll see that Sirius and I were only using shield charms. If you check Narcissa and Regulus' wands, you'll see the spells they used were far less benign."

"And you were able to identify the spells being used in the midst of a fast-paced altercation, Mr Snape?" Professor Flitwick asked curiously.

"They weren't casting silently, Sir," he replied politely. "I could hear the spells being used."

"And you can identify seventh year level spells?"

"I've read ahead, Sir. I haven't tried any of the more advanced spells yet – my mother made me promise not to get ahead of myself and risk burning out my core – but I'm not in Ravenclaw for nothing. I enjoy reading and learning about magic." Of course, in reality Severus knew all the spells used in this incident from his previous lifetime but by playing up his Ravenclaw love of learning, his excuse was entirely believable to his Head of House.

Approaching Professor Flitwick, he held out his wand. "Here you are, Sir. As my Head of House, may I give my wand to you for examination?"

Barely managing to smother a smirk, Sirius followed his lead and handed his wand to Professor McGonagall, gesturing to Peter to do the same. Narcissa and Regulus, seeing no way around it, reluctantly handed their wands to their jovially smiling Head of House as well. After reviewing the last spells used on each wand and listening to the portraits' account of events, Severus' story was verified and Professor Slughorn's smile faded noticeably upon seeing the spells used by his two Slytherins.

The Ravenclaw and two Gryffindors were sent back to their common rooms, while Narcissa and Regulus were docked points and given detentions. Narcissa was also lectured for attacking a second year and was warned that if she did so again, she would lose her prefect's badge.

Everything was cleared up quickly and easily, thanks to Severus' actions. Professor Dumbledore, however, was not pleased, since the presence of the other Heads of House, as intended by Severus, afforded Dumbledore no opportunity to exercise his benevolence. Dumbledore's preferred method would have been to avoid investigating and assigning blame based on evidence but to graciously forgive Sirius for getting in a fight, without reference to the actual facts, thus establishing himself in Sirius' mind as one who would always support Gryffindor bravado over Slytherin nastiness.

Crossly, Dumbledore resolved to keep an eye on the young Ravenclaw. _"There's something strange about that Ravenclaw boy,"_ he mused, _"and I'm going to find out what."_

"That was brilliant!" crowed Sirius, before they parted ways to head to their respective common rooms. "You just took charge against three Heads of House and the Headmaster. How did you know what to say?"

_"Because I was Head of House myself and I have a long acquaintance with Albus, Minerva and Filius,"_ he thought.

Aloud, Severus explained, "Uncle Alex is a teacher and I've heard a lot from him about how teachers react to misbehaviour and excuses, especially when it comes to fights in the corridors. He may teach muggles but a teacher is a teacher, regardless of whether their pupils are magical or muggle, so I just acted in a way that I knew he'd respond positively to, namely by making sure that we defended ourselves in a non-aggressive manner and didn't attack. That's why I told you to use shield charms only. Narcissa tried to start an argument that she thought couldn't be resolved – she thought it would be her word against ours – but I stayed calm, presented the facts, pointed out neutral witnesses and suggested a method by which the Heads of House could investigate all our actions. I also handed over my wand without being asked. The portraits and our wands then confirmed my version of events was correct. I came across as rational, reasonable and trustworthy and she came across as a petulant child."

"You didn't even know that we hadn't started it," squeaked Peter, "but you helped us anyway."

"You're my friends. Besides, I never claimed that you didn't start it. I merely said I didn't see that part of the fight and that I hadn't exacerbated the situation. I don't know why the Headmaster felt a need to interfere, though. I only asked the portraits to call the Heads of House, not the Headmaster. There were only five of us involved: one seventh year, three second years and a first year. I'm sure the Heads of House were more than capable of dealing with the situation on their own. It's like the Headmaster doesn't trust them or something, isn't it? I wonder why he would appoint them as Heads of House if he doesn't trust them to take care of minor incidents like this?" Severus asked ingeniously.

_"I can't do much about whatever Albus may be scheming at this time but I can ask the types of questions that will hopefully get the Marauders to query his actions and motives, instead of following him blindly,"_ Severus contemplated. _"If I can stop them regarding him as their protector, then that's what's most important right now."_

"I know your cousin and brother have made a point of hexing you whenever they could this year but this seemed a lot more vicious than normal. Has anything happened?" Severus asked, curious to know what had spurred this particular incident.

Sirius suddenly grinned. "My cousin, Andromeda, eloped with a muggleborn, Ted Tonks, in the summer. He was a Hufflepuff a couple of years ahead of her. The family disowned Dromeda – blasted her off the family tree – but we've been keeping in touch. Anyway, she had a baby earlier this month. On Valentine's Day, no less¹. Dromeda seems to have followed the family tradition of Ancient Greco-Roman names - although we normally stick to the ones that are also stars and constellations - but you'd think she would have foregone that particular custom. She called the baby Nymphadora. What a name to saddle the poor kid with! I'm guessing the family has just heard the news and, as they can't get at Dromeda, Narcissa and Regulus thought they'd have a go at the other Black Sheep of the family instead."

Severus chuckled to himself. _"Tonks is going to agree with you on that point, Sirius,"_ he thought with a smile. "That's great news, Sirius. Congratulations," he said.

"I wonder why the Headmaster seemed to focus on you, as though you were responsible for the fight?" Sirius suddenly wondered.

_"I don't know whether or not to be glad that he noticed that. It's not as though I can be fully honest with Sirius,"_ Severus mulled.

"Perhaps he was trying to calm things down between you and your family, so he decided to question me, as the non-Black participant in the fight," Severus said, before adding a startled afterthought, as though the concept had only just occurred to him. "At least, I hope that's all it was and not that he thought I could be used a convenient scapegoat so that he wouldn't need to get on the wrong side of your parents or your aunt and uncle. But, no. He's the Headmaster. I'm sure he'd be scrupulously fair." Severus was quite proud of himself for managing to say that last sentence with a straight face and in a tone that sounded as though he really believed what he was saying.

Of course, Narcissa and Regulus did not suddenly repent their actions after this incident, however, Sirius for once chose to demonstrate that he was born and bred a Black, even if he had chosen to become a Gryffindor, and he became cannier, making sure always to traverse the hallways in groups large enough not to present a tempting target to his vengeful family.

Later that year, however, the Marauders came across Narcissa and a group of other seventh year Slytherins attacking a Ravenclaw sixth year. The Ravenclaw, who was somewhat of a misfit, was outnumbered six to one and was faring badly. Oddball or not, the Marauders could not stand for such injustice and Sirius, James and Remus promptly joined in the fight. Knowing that Peter would be more of a hindrance than anything, Sirius took a leaf from Severus' book and yelled to Peter to go and get help and this time all four Heads of House arrived, with the Headmaster once again appearing. Sirius noticed the Headmaster honing in on Xenophilius Lovegood, the misfit without political influence, as the perpetrator.

"Headmaster, he was hardly likely to pick a fight with six people on his own!" the exasperated Gryffindor exclaimed.

"Now, now, Mr Black," Dumbledore began patronisingly but Professor Flitwick interrupted him.

"Albus, really! Mr Black is quite right. Mr Lovegood is one of the gentlest and least combative students in this school. I refuse to believe without proof that Mr Lovegood would have started a fight with six students who are all strong in offensive magic."

"I concur," snapped Professor McGonagall. "I suggest that we one again question the portraits and examine wands."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure where my wand is. Perhaps the nargles took it," explained Xeno looking around vaguely for his wand.

"_Accio_ Mr Lovegood's wand," said Professor Flitwick and everyone watched silently as it came zooming out of the robes of Walden McNair.

"I disarmed him out of self-defence," the man who would shortly become a marked Death Eater blustered.

"In that case you won't mind letting us examine your wand, will you, Mr McNair?" Professor McGonagall asked firmly.

"Let me see your wand, Mr McNair," Professor Slughorn sighed. Sure enough, upon examination, all the Slytherins had been casting borderline dark hexes, while Xeno Lovegood had merely cast a _Steleus_ sneezing hex.

"Well, even if Mr Lovegood began the fight, which I doubt – I have to agree with Filius on that – I'm sure we can all agree that the Slytherins severely over-reacted," stated Professor Sprout, who had been quietly observing until now, as none of her Hufflepuffs were involved.

Once again, the situation ended with detentions and point losses for the Slytherins. However, when the Marauders were telling Severus about the incident later that day, Sirius commented, "Professor Dumbledore all but accused Xeno Lovegood of starting the fight. If the Professors hadn't examined wands, Xeno would have been blamed without the Headmaster even bothering to ask what had happened."

_"I'm glad to see they're picking up on the Headmaster's favouritism this time round,"_ Severus smiled to himself.

With the massive points loss from the two incidents, all hopes of Slytherin winning the House Cup that year were lost. After that, the Slytherins laid low and the rest of the year passed reasonably quietly, although Regulus continued to cast occasional hexes at Sirius whenever he thought he could get away with it.

However, one day Severus happened to spot all four Marauders attacking a lone Slytherin in their year, by name of Mulciber. While he knew that Mulciber would become a sadistically evil Death Eater and privately thought that Mulciber deserved everything the Marauders could throw at him, Severus resolved to have a quiet word with the Marauders.

"Why did you all gang up on Mulciber like that?" he asked. Seeing them about to protest against his distaste for what they had done, he continued. "By all means, defend when attacked or when you see someone else being attacked, but attacking someone else four-to-one, no matter how competent their duelling skills, is exactly what the Slytherins did to Xeno Lovegood. Do you really want to be seen as no better than them?"

That certainly gave them pause. James and Sirius, not surprisingly the ringleaders, looked startled and then thoughtful, as they took in what Severus was saying to them. Severus plunged on, laying things out in terms that he was sure they would appreciate.

"When it comes hexing other people in corridors, keep it fair and try to make sure you're in the right, otherwise you'll gain reputations for being bullies. If you feel the need to deal with someone as a group, stick to harmless pranks and then most people will probably regard you as fun-loving pranksters rather than nasty pieces of work. The professors will have to give you a token punishment but it'll be nothing compared to what you'd get if you're caught attacking someone with uneven and unfair odds," he advised.

"That's surprisingly Slytherin of you, Sev," Sirius said, reluctantly impressed with this reasoning.

"Well, my Mum's family have all been Slytherins for generations," Severus reminded them. "It's not that I didn't inherit any Slytherin-like traits, it's that I _chose_ not to become a Slytherin, just like you Sirius. That doesn't mean I can't let my Slytherin side come out to play once in a while, though."

Sirius barked a laugh at that but took Severus' words to heart. Severus soon saw a difference in the Marauders' attitudes and behaviour, as compared to his last lifetime. Admittedly, this change was more to do with self-interest, since they wanted to be popular and admired rather than derided as bullies, than because they actually saw anything wrong with attacking Slytherins, or indeed anyone else they did not like, but Severus was happy to encourage them in curbing their nastier tendencies, regardless of the reason. As a result, much like Severus himself, the boys became far nicer than they had been last time round, all except for Peter, who still caused the hairs on the back of Severus' neck to rise. The rat had enjoyed watching others be tortured in Severus' previous life and there was already something furtive and shifty about him now. Severus could recognise the incipient darkness within Peter and he realised that no matter what, Peter would end up betraying them. In Severus' case, it was as much circumstances as his fascination with the Dark Arts that had led to him taking the Dark Mark in his last lifetime, but in Peter's case, as he did not have Severus' previously dreadful childhood, it seemed likely that it would be entirely due to his nature that he would become a Death Eater.

oOo - oOo - oOo

By the time third year came around, James and Sirius had decided to become animagi to help Remus, Severus having subtly steered them in that direction. During this year, they finally told Peter about Remus' lycanthropy but they did not tell Lily. She was much more of a stickler for the rules than the Marauders and they did not think she would approve of their desire to become secret animagi. The fact that the three boys – including Peter! – had managed to become animagi so young in order to help their friend was about the only thing Severus admired about the arrogant boys he had known in his last lifetime. It had taken the boys a couple of years to succeed, finally gaining their animagus forms in fifth year; their and third and fourth years were spent both in the pursuit of this and in the development of the Marauders' Map.

Severus was astounded by the magic involved in the latter endeavour. _"I always knew they were intelligent but I couldn't see beyond our animosity to accept it last time,"_ he concluded.

Since Hogwarts had accepted his Headmastership from his previous lifetime, Severus was still connected to the wards. This, combined with his far greater knowledge of the castle, enabled him to help the Marauders develop the map further than last time. At his suggestion, this time they duplicated the map, so that they would each have a copy. However, using his connection to the school and the wards, he managed to sabotage Peter's copy of the map, building into Peter's copy hidden wards that would cause it to become unreliable after they left Hogwarts, although Severus trusted that since Peter would have no reason to monitor the map continually once he finished school, he would not realise that the map had since become unreliable. It would continue to deteriorate gradually and by the time Harry's second birthday came around, the magic within Peter's map should have faded altogether.

The corridor and rooms that they had appropriated back in first year appeared only to themselves, so that even if someone else were to look at the map, they would remain unaware of this section of the castle. Severus was not yet ready to start collecting Voldemort's horcruxes and so needed to ensure that the Room of Hidden Things remained a secret, therefore, he made sure that the Room of Requirement was not discovered by the boys and that it was not included in the map, although he quietly checked before and after each school holiday that Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem was still hidden there. Not having anywhere else safe to keep the Diadem, he left it in the Room, trusting that as per last time, it would remain there undisturbed until it was time to destroy it.

Having already learned all that he was being taught in class, Severus needed an intellectual challenge. Knowing that there was a chance that Harry might end up with a horcrux in him again, and also wanting to ascertain if the precious Founders' items that Voldemort had used to store his horcruxes in could be saved, he began to research methods of destroying horcruxes without destroying the vessels containing them. As a Headmaster acknowledged by the castle, he was able to bypass the wards around the Restricted Section in the library, however, not entirely unexpectedly, there was no information available there.

Wanting to maintain his skills in the Dark Arts without showing an interest in them to those around him, Severus began using the Room of Requirement to practise his Dark spell casting. One day, the Room, responding to his frustration over his inability to find any information on horcruxes, suddenly provided books on the subject. He was unable to take the books out of the Room but he copied the relevant information and warded the parchments, so that none could read them but himself, disguising them believably as obscure potions notes.

Severus had already made an impression on the Potions Master, Horace Slughorn, with his exceptional brewing skills and he was invited by the Head of Slytherin to assist in the required brewing for the school infirmary. While he did not enjoy spending time with Professor Slughorn, he missed brewing, finding the small amount of time spent potioneering during class was not enough to satisfy his love of brewing, and so accepted the lazy Professor's offer.

From third year onwards, the students were of course able to visit Hogsmeade. Severus and Lily gladly visited Eileen during their first Hogsmeade weekend, enjoying the taste of home they got from spending time with her. They had both visited Eileen in Hogsmeade many times before and so did not feel a need to explore the village the way most third years did at first, although they did introduce their friends to their favourite parts of Hogsmeade. Both children also introduced their friends to Eileen and all the youngsters soon made a point of stopping in at the apothecary to say hello during every Hogsmeade weekend. While he made sure to spend time with his friends when in Hogsmeade, Severus also used the time to assist Eileen with her brewing and between her tutoring during Hogsmeade weekends and school holidays, and his extra brewing time with Professor Slughorn, Severus was soon acknowledged to be far beyond his classmates in this subject, something that was not unusual with children whose parents held masteries. Although Lily was also skilled in this area, her level of expertise did not compare to that of Severus, and it was agreed that Severus would be allowed to proceed at his own pace and sit his Potions OWL early. As brewing potions did not involve _foolish wand-waving_² there was no concern that advancing quickly in this class would strain his magical core. This was a big change from his last lifetime, however, because Severus still had the knowledge and skill of a Potions Master and was struggling to hide it, this was a welcome change for him. All-in all, his Hogwarts years this time round, were passing much more enjoyably than they had in his previous lifetime.

oOo - oOo - oOo

Finally, by Halloween in fifth year, Sirius, James, Peter and this time also Severus, had all managed to complete their animagus transformations. As before, Sirius transformed into the Grim-like dog, which they nicknamed Padfoot; James transformed into the noble stag, which they nicknamed Prongs; and Peter was again the rat, Wormtail. The first time Peter transformed, Severus was hard put not to stamp on the traitorous rat but, with great effort, restrained himself.

Severus had been very curious as to what his animagus would be, not having become one in his previous lifetime. Knowing that his animagus form would reflect his personality, he wondered what animal would represent him. While the Severus from this lifetime was a very different person to the Severus from his previous lifetime, he still retained his memories from the past and knew that his previous experiences were an integral part of his makeup, which would impact upon his animagus form.

To his great delight, Severus did not turn into a canine. Despite being friends with the Marauders this time around, his previous experiences had put him off dogs and wolves permanently. Instead, Severus turned into a melanistic Serval. In terms of mass, the Serval is regarded as a medium sized Big Cat, as it is sleeker and less bulky than many of the other Big Cats, however, like tall and lanky Severus, it has the longest legs, making it the tallest of the Big Cats. The sleek, long-limbed predator suited him excellently, he felt.

"What is that?" asked Sirius in shock, the first time the boys saw Severus transformed. They were in their lair in the hidden corridor, and had conjured a full-length mirror, so that each boy could see what their animagus form looked like.

"It looks like a black Serval Cat," Severus replied, once he had changed back.

"And what's a Serval Cat?" James inquired dryly.

Severus pulled the muggle animal encyclopaedia he had brought to Hogwarts off a shelf and turned to the page on Servals and the boys eagerly read the information therein.

"Cool!" exclaimed Peter.

Severus barely refrained from sneering at the smaller boy and with no more than a curt nod in his direction, transformed back into the cat again, so that he could examine his animagus form more closely.

"Well, he should certainly be able to keep Moony under control. What should we call him?" asked Remus, who had been perched on a table, watching.

"Lankylegs!" exclaimed Sirius, winking at Remus.

Severus immediately changed back into his human form. "Over my dead body!" he declared adamantly.

"Blackie? Sooty? Pussycat?" Sirius continued suggesting absurd names, grinning as the dour Ravenclaw's irritation grew.

"Perhaps Obsidian? Or Ebon or Ebony?" suggested Severus. "My wand is ebony."

"That's a possibility," agreed James, who had been ignoring his best friend's attempts to wind up Severus. "It doesn't feel quite right, though."

"Well, we can keep thinking about it," acceded Severus philosophically.

That night, the four animagi snuck out onto the grounds of Hogwarts to run in their animagus forms, with Peter's rat perched upon the back of James' stag.

_"Rather James than me,"_ thought Severus, barely repressing a shudder.

When the boys returned to their den in the castle, James, who had been closely observing Severus' Serval during their run, commented, "You know, you completely blend into the shadows, Sev. Even more than Padfoot does. I could barely see you in the dark. What about Shadow?"

"I like that," said Severus, who felt that it nicely represented his years spent as a spy.

"It doesn't have the fun side that our names do," Sirius objected in disappointment. "Half the fun is making people wonder what our nicknames mean."

"Which is why Shadow suits me," said Severus firmly. "No one will think twice about you lot having strange nicknames for each other. They may wonder about the reasoning behind them but it won't surprise anyone. I'm not exactly known for my frivolity, though. If you give me a strange nickname, it'll attract too much attention. The whole point of doing this in secret is so that we can spend the full moon with Moony. You know we wouldn't be allowed to, even in animagus form, if the staff knew what we were planning. It's better not to give me a nickname that will make them question too much. If we decide on Ebon or Ebony, we can say it's because you wanted me to have a nickname as well and you chose it because of my hair and eye colour and because of my wand. If we decide on Shadow, we can say it's because I prefer to stay in the background rather than being in the thick of things like you lot, and so you decided to call me Shadow because of that. Any of those nicknames would suit me and my Serval but would also be unremarkable, thanks to having perfectly reasonable explanations."

"Sev's right," acknowledged James.

Sirius pouted but agreed. "So which one shall we choose?"

"Any of Ebon, Ebony and Shadow would suit Sev," commented Remus, "and they can all be explained reasonably without suspicion."

"And none of them is nonsensical or ridiculous," Severus agreed, glaring at Sirius, who laughed uproariously in response.

"Now that I think about it, Ebony sounds a bit girly," Severus decided. "I think I prefer Ebon."

"Ebon sounds weird," Peter commented.

"It sounds like a savage in the jungle. Ee-bon. Ee-bon," grunted Sirius.

Severus stared aghast at Sirius. _"He doesn't realise how much of a arrogant, supercilious, pureblood snob he actually is. One of these days I'm really going to have to teach him about political correctness. Not to mention basic respect towards others,"_ he thought in dismay.

"How about we compromise on Shadow?" James asked, trying to bring the metaphorical meeting back to order before the disagreement could get out of hand.

"Agreed," said Severus definitely, once he had his voice back.

The boys all finally agreed on Shadow and parted ways, all looking forward to the next full moon when they would be able to let their animagi out to play.

Sure enough, when the Marauders started using their new nicknames, eyebrows were raised and murmurs could be heard from the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, as they tried to work out the meaning of the strange nicknames. The four boys took great delight in teasing anyone who was brave enough to ask them and everyone soon reached the conclusion that they had chosen silly nicknames just to cause a fuss, and the interest soon died down, although it did not quite fade entirely.

When the Marauders started calling Severus 'Shadow,' however, Lily, Marsali and Gaspard were harder to deflect. As Severus had predicted, those who knew him were astounded to hear him responding to a silly nickname, and they pressed for an explanation.

"Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew decided that they had to have special Marauder names and after much deliberation, they finally came up with those four pieces of art: Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail. If you want to know why their juvenile, little minds chose those particular names, you'll have to ask them," he sneered, as Marsali and Lily giggled at his obvious disdain.

"Then they took it into their heads to decide that as a so-called honorary Marauder, I should also have a nickname. Black initially came up with such gems as 'Sooty' for the colour of my hair and eyes or 'Lankylegs' because I have long legs, so I count myself lucky that I ended up with 'Shadow.' Apparently, it's because, unlike those four who revel in being the centre of attention, I prefer to remain in the background like a shadow."

As predicted, Severus' explanation made perfect sense, especially after mentioning some of the more preposterous names Sirius had suggested, and his nickname quickly ceased to incite interest, although the mystery of the Marauders' names was something that continued to be speculated over whenever there was nothing better to gossip about. Fortunately, Hogwarts was rarely lacking in gossip and eventually the idea that the names were meaningless nonsense became widely accepted.

On the next full moon, James, Sirius, Peter and Severus all managed to sneak out successfully. Wormtail scampered up the Whomping Willow and despite Severus privately praying that the aggressive tree would smash the rat into a pulp, he easily managed to activate the knot which stilled the tree and opened the secret tunnel underneath without mishap. Muttering _Lumos_ to create light from their wands, the boys made their way down the tunnel and climbed the stairs at the end. It was winter in the Scottish Highlands and the moon had risen early. They reached a door and heard the growling and snarling that indicated Remus had already transformed into Moony.

"James, will you have enough room for your antlers if you transform into Prongs here?" asked Peter, who was shivering with fear.

"I'm not sure," he replied.

"Okay, Prongs, you go out the tunnel, transform and wait for us at the entrance. Take Wormtail with you so he doesn't get trampled on. Shadow is the one who's best able to stand up to a werewolf, so I'll stand guard here at the door and Sirius, you open the door magically and then transform immediately into Padfoot. I'll keep Moony away from you, while you transform," said Severus.

The boys all agreed and, with the plan prepared, letting the werewolf out went smoothly. They ran back along the tunnel and out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Gathering Prongs and Wormtail with them, they disappeared into the Forbidden Forest and spent the night running around. Moony enjoyed romping about with the big, black dog, Padfoot, while Shadow and Prongs, with his large and impressive antlers, were easily able to keep Moony under control. They steered him back into the Shrieking Shack in the early hours of the morning, and the exhausted werewolf was happy to curl up on a blanket and sleep. Closing and locking the door behind them, they made their way back into the castle and to bed, to get a few hours' sleep before they would have to be up in the morning for classes.

The next evening, after Remus had been released from the hospital wing, they gathered to congratulate themselves exultantly on the success of their plan.

"It really does seem to have helped," said Remus in astonishment. "I don't ever remember much about my transformations but I'm definitely not as battered and bruised as normal."

"Perhaps your wolf isn't designed to stay cooped up in the Shack and so Moony rebels, making it harder on you. Being able to run freely is probably a lot easier for him," Severus speculated, sensing that Shadow would not like to be kept in captivity either, even if only for one night a month.

"That could be it," agreed Remus thoughtfully.

The boys spent the rest of their time at Hogwarts joining Moony in his transformations on each full moon. Sometimes Severus could not believe how irresponsible and careless they were being over other people's safety, but knowing that in the last timeline there had been no _accidental_ encounters between Moony and any humans (only one intentional encounter, when Sirius tricked him into following Remus on the full moon) made him confident that things would continue without mishap in this timeline, too, although he maintained a constant vigilance to make sure that Moony did not ever escape his animagus guards.

oOo - oOo - oOo

Ever since first year, James had made his interest in Lily clearly known. As soon as they were able to go to Hogsmeade in third year, James had started trying to persuade Lily to go with him. James' declarations of love had been rather grandiose and Lily could not bring herself to believe in his ostentatious posturing. With the burgeoning attentions of other girls in their year, James had also begun to realise that he was rather good-looking and his popularity was going to his head. Lily was finding his arrogant swaggering very off-putting and could barely stand to be around him.

Finally, during fifth year, Severus reluctantly decided to step in. Dragging Marsali along with him, he cornered James and they explained the facts of life to the brash and cocky Gryffindor.

"Here's the thing, James," Marsali explained patiently. "Girls with a modicum of intelligence don't like conceited toe-rags. The ones who are chasing after you are all mindless bimbos who want nothing more than to be Mrs James Potter. They don't care about you as a person. You could be anyone as long as you're rich, reasonably good-looking and willing to marry them. Lily, on the other hand, actually cares about the person, rather than the position they can offer her. She wants to date a man who wants to get to know her, and who wants to let her get to know him. A swollen-headed prat is not appealing to a girl like Lily."

James opened his mouth, then snapped it closed. He turned to Severus, who nodded in agreement. "Tone it down, Prongs," he advised. "She's my sister and I know what she's like. Right now, when you ask her out, she's thinking that you're making it all about you and not about her. You need to think about Lils and what would please her."

"I just want her to think that I'm special," he said quietly.

"Well, right now she thinks you're specially annoying!" Marsali retorted in exasperation. "Don't you want her to fall in love with you? The _real_ you?"

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed.

"Then stop clowning around and just be yourself," Severus admonished him.

"And don't rush things," Marsali continued. "Give her a chance to see that you've changed and you're not going to behave like a bothersome prat anymore."

"Thanks, Marsali, Shadow," he said.

"You know, I am going to find out what your nicknames are all about," she warned the two boys, narrowing her eyes at them warningly.

"Never going to happen but feel free to try, McGonagall Junior," James teased her.

James took their words to heart and immediately reined himself in. Much to Lily's surprise, he refrained from inviting her to go to Hogsmeade with him on the next Hogsmeade weekend; instead he waited until the following one, to give her time to get used to the new and improved James Potter.

With some additional coaching from Marsali ("_Don't_ ask Evans out in public, Potter. No one likes to be put on the spot like that.") one day, he asked Lily if he could have a quiet word with her in private. She looked surprised but agreeably followed him out the portrait hole. Sirius, who was in the common room at the time, began to cheer loudly, until Remus hit him to make him shut up.

"You know, sometimes I really don't understand why you're friends with that idiot," she commented as they stopped to talk in a convenient alcove.

James frowned at her description of Sirius but did not say anything about it. "Evans... Lily. I know I've embarrassed you in the past and I apologise for that. It wasn't fair of me to keep putting you on the spot. If I promise not to do that again, or to embarrass you while we're out, would you do me the honour of going to Hogsmeade with me, next Hogsmeade weekend?"

Lily looked at him in shock. "Are you playing some kind of joke on me, Potter?" she demanded suspiciously.

"No! Of course not!" James looked horrified at the very idea. "If you must know, Sev advised me to calm down and to be a bit more considerate of your feelings. I believe the words _'dunderheaded show-off'_ may have been used."

Lily giggled at that. "I'm glad you listened to him, James. I don't mind you having fun, you know, but if you revert back to that rowdy, big-headed oaf..."

"I'll be a perfect gentleman," he promised, and he was. Lily was delighted with the fun-loving but sincere version of James Potter that he was now displaying to her. Their date went extremely well and by the end of it, they were very definitely a couple. Lily was positively glowing and simply bubbling over with happiness. Severus was pleased that Lily was so happy but he did wonder when he would finally meet his promised soul-mate.

oOo - oOo - oOo

Lily was not the only girl to be attracting the interest of a young man. The Evans family was very happy in Durham and both Petunia and Alex were loving the school. Alex had started his after-school self-defence clubs again and a number of the older students who had permission to leave the school grounds would often drop by the Evans home to visit Alex, who had become one of their favourite teachers. Petunia was blossoming in this new environment. She would never be the beauty that Lily was but joy and contentment were giving the older girl her own prettiness and it seemed that Severus was not the only one to notice.

A group of former students of Durham School were sharing a house in Durham, as they all studied at universities and polytechnics in Durham and nearby Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Some of these students regularly attended the self-defence club and one of them puzzled Severus enormously. The young man named Gareth had graduated from Durham School the year after Petunia began, in her second year of high school. Severus knew he had never met him before, in either his past lifetime or his present, and yet there was something very familiar about him. What surprised Severus even more was his devotion to the self-defence club, despite the all too obvious gentle nature of the young man who had been so aptly named³.

During the school holidays Severus' and Lily's friends from Hogwarts often visited. They had all become fond of Alex and Iris and they soaked up Alex's lessons in muggle defence. It was Sirius who finally solved the puzzle for Severus, the first time he met Gareth. Still not having developed a filter for his mouth, Sirius plunged right in.

"You know, you look remarkably like my cousin's husband, a man named Ted Tonks. I don't suppose you know him, do you?"

"Sirius!" Lily hissed, taking care to ensure that the muggle boy did not hear her. "There's an awful lot of muggles. Far more than magicals. We don't all know each other the way you purebloods do."

Severus, however, had a feeling that Sirius was correct and this was corroborated by the man in question.

Ignoring Sirius' outstretched hand and crossing his arms belligerently, Gareth replied, "He's my brother. What's it to you? It's not like your family cares about them."

"Ah, but _I_ do. I'm as much a rebel as my favourite cousin is. I visit her regularly; that's why I'm the only member of the family who knows Ted well enough to recognise your resemblance to him, or who has met little Dora. She's adorable, isn't she?"

"It's true," James confirmed, nodding his head earnestly. "Sirius rather despises his family and their snobbish attitudes."

With that, Gareth was welcomed into their group. Severus soon came to understand why the gentle man was so concerned about learning self-defence, as this seemed contrary to his very nature. Learning of the situation his brother and sister-in-law were in, Gareth wanted to be able to defend himself against anyone who would attack him. Of course, muggle self-defence techniques would not help against the Killing Curse but Severus kept his mouth shut. After all, it was not as though wizards had a defence against that curse either, and at least Gareth would stand a chance against anything other than the Unforgivables.

Severus had noticed Gareth eyeing Petunia appreciatively and quietly encouraged the interest. Gareth was a good man, who was accepting of his brother's magic and adored his young, magical niece. He would be much better for this kinder, nicer Petunia than Vernon Dursley would be. It was soon obvious to all that Petunia and Gareth were falling in love and the dental student met with the whole family's approval. By the time Petunia finished Durham School the year Severus, Lily and their friends finished their fifth year of Hogwarts, and was preparing to begin a course in horticulture at nearby Durham College of Agriculture and Horticulture⁴, it was understood by all who knew the couple that it was only a matter of time before Petunia and Gareth got engaged.

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The end of Severus' fifth year at Hogwarts, marked significant changes for Severus and Eileen, as Master Brewyer passed away at the end of May that year. Eileen had not yet managed to buy the business from him in full and when summoned to Gringotts for the reading of his will, she was stunned to learn that he had left the remainder of the business to her. Eileen protested this unexpected generosity, not wanting his daughter to think that Eileen had somehow stolen part of her inheritance, however, the woman was quick to reassure her.

"My father was very fond of you, Mistress Snape, and he expected great things of your son in the field of potions. He knew the end was coming and that he would probably pass before you completed the purchase of the business, and he told me that he was planning to deed the remainder of the business to you. My husband and I are well off and do not need the balance of the purchase fees. My father built this business up from nothing and it meant a great deal to him, especially after my mother passed. I would be very pleased to know that it is in the safe hands of one to whom it means almost as much as it did to my father. I cannot continue it myself as my skills do not lie in the field of potions."

Eileen was overwhelmed but gathered her wits enough to thank the grieving witch profusely. "I assure you, Madam, that as long as I or my son owns the business, it will retain the name Brewyer's Apothecary, in tribute to your father. He was very good to me and I will always be grateful."

Master Brewyer's daughter nodded silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. She squeezed Eileen's hand once then turned to her husband, who gathered her in his arms and escorted her out of the bank, before apparating them both away.

Numbly, Eileen concluded her business with the goblins and then walked down Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, lost in thought. She chose to floo back to Hogsmeade, not wanting to risk apparating while she was so distracted. She remained preoccupied for the rest of the day as she tended to the shop on automatic pilot. At the end of the day, deciding not to brew while she was in this frame of mind, as she would surely ruin any potions she attempted, she locked up and warded the shop, hung the closed sign on the door and headed upstairs to her flat, where she sat down with a cup of tea to brood.

Until now, she had merely been continuing to run the apothecary business in the manner in which Master Brewyer had set it up, while she struggled to purchase it from him. Now that she owned it outright, she could begin to make changes. She knew that Severus was an extremely talented potioneer and was very interested in the business, so she was hoping that he would want to undertake a Potions Mastery and join her in the apothecary. With two Potions Masters, they could focus more on brewing their own stocks and could perhaps even contract to supply St Mungos and Hogwarts with some of the more unusual potions they required. She knew, of course, that Hogwarts had a Potions Master on staff but, given the many demands on Professor Slughorn's time, for potions which required more esoteric ingredients or a large amount of dedicated brewing time, it may be that it would be more efficient and cost-effective to contract out such brewing than to attempt it in-house.

Of course, all her plans for development centred on Severus pursuing a Mastery and wanting to join her in the business, so as soon as the summer holidays started, she took the first available opportunity to have a talk with her son. Explaining the new circumstances, she asked Severus about his plans for after school.

"I definitely want my Potions Mastery, Mum," he said earnestly. "Would it be better to do it here with you or with another Potions Master?"

"It would certainly be easier for us if you were to pursue your Mastery under my tutelage but if you decide on that option, I think we should also ask Master Slughorn to supervise you. It would be better for you if it were known that your Mastery was attained under the supervision of an independent Potions Master, rather than just your mother."

"Mum, I sat my Potions OWL early and I'm going to be sitting the NEWT early too. Do you think I might be able to start brewing Master level potions once I've passed my NEWT?"

"I'll discuss it with Master Slughorn and see what he says. We can also decide if he should be the primary or secondary supervisor for your Mastery."

"I'd like to do at least part of my Mastery with you, Mum. I want to work with you here in the shop."

"I'm so proud of you, my son," she said, hugging the young man who was turning out so well, despite the deficiencies of his early upbringing. Fortunately, he had a far better role model in Alex Evans than he had in Tobias Snape, who had still not seen his son since the day the Snape marriage ended, back when Severus was nine years old.

"I'm proud of you, too, Mum," he whispered. "I know it was hard for you to leave Dad, to leave me with the Evans and to become an apprentice again. You did what was right for us, even if it wasn't easy, and I'm glad things are finally good for us."

Tears welled up in Eileen's eyes at this affirmation from her son. Life had indeed been a struggle but it looked to her like the hardships were now over and she and Severus could enjoy their improved lives. Little did Eileen know that the wizarding world would soon be overrun with trouble, thanks to the increasing activities of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, otherwise known as the self-styled Lord Voldemort.

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¹ We don't know Tonks' exact birthday, however, according to the information we do have about her, she was born in 1973 but was in the same school year as Charlie Weasley, who was born in December 1972, making Tonks' birthday somewhere between 1 January and 31 August 1973. In my world, Andromeda eloped partly because she truly loved Ted Tonks but wouldn't have been permitted by her family to marry a muggleborn and partly because she was pregnant, thus forcing the issue. I've therefore decided to be nauseatingly soppy and make Tonks' birthday Valentine's day, tying in with the true love idea – and also because I think the soppiness of it would annoy Tonks just as much as her name does!

² _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ by JK Rowling, Chapter 8.

³ Gareth means gentle. I thought someone who epitomises 'gentle' would be a nice contrast to the boorish Vernon Dursley.

⁴ There has been an agricultural college at Houghall Farm since 1920. Durham College of Agriculture and Horticulture, also known as Houghall College, merged with present day East Durham College in 1999. I don't know what the college was called in the 1970s, or what courses they offered at that time, but for the purposes of this story, I'm going to assume it was the previous name of Durham College of Agriculture and Horticulture and that they did offer courses in horticulture which would have suited Petunia.


End file.
